…as Appeals Court orders Stormy Daniels to pay him $120,000 in legal fees
In his first speech since pleading not guilty to 34 felony counts, former President Donald Trump railed against the Manhattan DA and the indictment.
It’s the first time a former president has faced criminal charges. The charges stem from an investigation into a 2016 hush money payment to an adult film actress.
Prosecutors alleged the former president sought to undermine the integrity of the 2016 election and was part of an unlawful plan to suppress negative information.
Trump appeared in a New York City court Tuesday where he heard the charges against him. Trump denies all wrongdoing and his lawyers have said they’ll fight to get the charges dropped.
Trump’s team has until August 8 to file any motions and the prosecution will respond by September 19. Judge Juan Merchan said he will rule on the motions at the next in-person hearing, scheduled for December 4.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump had a substantial victory in another court, Tuesday, 3,000 miles away from his New York legal drama.
The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Trump in his effort to recoup additional legal fees from adult film star Stormy Daniels, who had filed and lost a defamation suit against the former president.
Daniels was ordered to pay Trump’s attorneys just over $120,000 in legal fees. That’s on top of the over $500,000 in court-ordered payments to Trump attorneys she’s already been ordered to pay.
The civil litigation is officially unrelated to Trump’s arrest and charges filed against him in New York — but both involved Daniels, who was paid $130,000 in hush money during the 2016 presidential campaign to keep quiet about an affair. Trump denies the affair.
