Former President Donald Trump sued his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen on Wednesday, seeking at least $500 million for alleged breaches of fiduciary duty.
“Defendant breached his fiduciary duties to Plaintiff under his attorney-client relationship by both disclosing Plaintiff’s confidences and spreading falsehoods about Plaintiff that were likely to be embarrassing or damaging, and engaged in other conduct improper,” the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Miami, accused Cohen of “a rampage of fiduciary and contractual breaches” through numerous “inflammatory and false statements” about Trump in books, his podcast and media appearances.
Former President Donald Trump attends UFC 287 at the Kaseya Center in Miami on April 8, 2023.
Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images
“It appears that the accused has become emboldened and continues to make unlawful and false statements about the accused through various platforms. This continued and escalating misconduct by the accused has reached a proverbial crescendo and has not leaving plaintiff no alternative but to seek legal redress through this action,” the lawsuit said.
“The Defendant chose to exploit his confidential relationship with the Claimant to seek financial gain and repair a reputation damaged by his repeated misrepresentations and deceptive acts, fueled by his animosity towards the Claimant and his family members. His actions constitute serious violations of its contractual and fiduciary contract. duties to the Plaintiff, and the Defendant shall be liable.”
A Trump spokesman said in a statement: “The lawsuit and the numerous crimes of Michael Cohen, a convicted felon, stand on their own, and have been admitted by Cohen himself through his books, podcasts and constant media appearances of falsehood.”
Fox News was first to report the claim.
By filing his lawsuit now, Trump could be seen as trying to dismantle Cohen’s credibility at a time when Cohen has become a key witness in the criminal case against Trump in New York.
The former president pleaded not guilty last week to 34 counts of falsifying business records, involving kickbacks to Cohen for hush money paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 campaign.
Michael Cohen, former attorney for former US President Donald Trump, arrives at the New York Courthouse in New York City, March 13, 2023.
Eduardo Muñoz/Reuters, FICHA
Cohen told ABC’s “Good Morning America” last month, before the indictment, that he was willing to testify in any possible case.
“The facts are the facts. The truth is the truth and the truth will always stand up, so I’m not worried about anything they want to attack me with,” he said.
Cohen served prison time after pleading guilty to federal charges that included campaign finance violations related to the hush money. He was sentenced to three years, but was granted early release in November 2021.
ABC News’ Libby Cathey contributed to this report.
