Washington, Feb 15 (RHC)-- U.S. President Donald Trump’s longtime personal lawyer Michael Cohen says he personally paid $130,000 to former porn star Stephanie Clifford, better known as Stormy Daniels, several weeks before Trump’s election to keep her from going public about her 2006 sexual encounter with Donald Trump.  Cohen says he was never reimbursed for the payment to silence Daniels. 

The star of pornography movies first said she said she had a relationship with Donald Trump in a 2011 interview.  In that interview with InTouch magazine, the actress said she began a sexual relationship with Trump in 2006, shortly after Melania Trump gave birth to his son Barron. 

The reports re-emerged in January this year when the Wall Street Journal reported that she was paid to sign a non-disclosure agreement in the run up to the 2016 election, which prevented her from discussing the alleged liaison.  Ms Clifford was believed to be in discussion with U.S. media about a television appearance to discuss Donald Trump at the time, the report said.