US President Donald Trump paid USD 130k to adult star who claimed to have an affair with him: Lawyer

United States' President Donald Trump paid around USD 130,000 out of his own pocket to the adult film star, Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have had an affair with the US President, his personal lawyer Michael Cohen told the New York Times.

Cohen, who previously served as an attorney for the Trump Organisation and is now Trump's personal lawyer, defended the payment to the newspaper.

"Neither the Trump Organisation nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms. Clifford, and neither reimbursed me for the payment, either directly or indirectly," Cohen was quoted as saying, referring to Stephanie Clifford, who goes by the stage name, Stormy Daniels.

"The payment to Ms. Clifford was lawful, and was not a campaign contribution or a campaign expenditure by anyone," he added.

He, however, declined to discuss the payment further, including whether Trump knew of it or the motivation behind it.

Last month, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Cohen arranged USD 130,000 for Daniels as part of a nondisclosure agreement, one month before the 2016 presidential elections.

Trump's lawyer had "vehemently" denied the WSJ's report.

In 2011, Daniels said in an 'In Touch Magazine' interview with that she had a sexual encounter with Trump at Lake Tahoe in 2006, just one year after the US President had married now-first lady Melania Trump.

During an appearance on the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" show last month, Daniels denied having an affair with Trump saying, "I do not know where it came from."

--ANI