Stormy Daniels, the adult film star who claims to have had an affair with President Donald Trump in 2006 and whom Michael Cohen paid to keep quiet during the 2016 election, issued a statement Wednesday as lawmakers grilled Cohen on Capitol Hill.
Daniels said she was "proud" that Cohen was "beginning to tell the truth" about her alleged affair with the president and subsequent hush money payments.
She also took Cohen to task for allegedly threatening her to keep quiet about the affair in the years after receiving payment.
"You spoke about how the president and his attorney put you and your family in danger by calling you a liar and a rat and disparaging you in public," Daniels said in her statement. "I understand your fear, Michael. I have a family too. Do you believe now that when you and the president called me a liar, when you were his attorney and insulted me, threatened to bankrupt me and worse, that you put me and my family in danger? I remember the fear you feel. I still feel it."
On Wednesday, Cohen brought a check to the hearing which he says was repayment from Trump for issuing a hush money payment to Daniels. Cohen also testified on Wednesday that Trump directed Cohen to lie to Trump's wife, Melania, about the affair — an order that he carried out and says he still regrets to this day.
Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison in late 2018 for lying to Congress and for campaign finance charges relating to the payments to Stormy Daniels.
MSNBC reporter Garrett Haake published Daniels' statement first. Daniels added she will not be issuing another statement today.
Read Daniels' entire statement below.
"Michael, I'm proud of you for finally beginning to tell the truth about what you did, and trying to repair some of the harm you have caused. I can hear the pain and regret you feel for betraying your family and your country. My heart goes out to you and your whole family. "You spoke about how the president and his attorney put you and your family in danger by calling you a liar and a rat and disparaging you in public. I understand your fear, Michael. I have a family too. Do you believe now that when you and the president called me a liar, when you were his attorney and insulted me, threatened to bankrupt me and worse, that you put me and my family in danger? I remember the fear you feel. I still feel it. Thank you for having the courage, at long last, to begin to tell the truth. I hope that someday soon your family and mine can both leave this nightmare behind."
