LOS ANGELES _ Porn star Stormy Daniels sued her former lawyer Keith Davidson on Wednesday, accusing him of colluding with President Donald Trump's personal attorney to undercut her interests in disputes over her alleged affair with Trump.
In her complaint, Daniels called Davidson a puppet of the president and his attorney Michael Cohen, saying he protected their interests rather than hers as she was preparing to go public early this year with her story of a 2006 one-night stand with Trump.
Davidson, whose law office is in Beverly Hills, denied any impropriety in his representation of Daniels.
He said he welcomed the lawsuit, because it would free him to defend himself publicly against false allegations made by Daniels' current attorney, Michael Avenatti.
"This outrageously frivolous lawsuit is yet another desperate attempt by Michael Avenatti to continue his 'publicity tour,' as well as divert attention from the recent allegations against him relating to bankruptcy proceedings and the failure to withhold millions of federal employee taxes," Davidson said, alluding to the bankruptcy and tax delinquency of the Eagan Avenatti law firm in Newport Beach.
A New York federal judge admonished Avenatti last week for denigrating Cohen in frequent television appearances that she dismissed as a "publicity tour."
With her lawsuit, Davidson said, Daniels has effectively waived the attorney-client confidentiality duty that has kept him muzzled as Avenatti attacked him.
"Mr. Davidson is a liar and a scum bag," Avenatti said by email. "He is now trying to distract away from his own unethical lapses by telling lies about things wholly unrelated to this case. He also clearly doesn't know the law as it relates to the attorney-client privilege."
Daniels' complaint in state Superior Court in Santa Monica is the third one that she has filed involving her alleged sexual encounter with Trump in the early years of his marriage to Melania Trump.
In March, she sued the president to void the nondisclosure agreement that bars her from speaking publicly about the alleged affair. In April, Daniels sued Trump for defamation over a tweet saying her story about being threatened in 2011 if she revealed the affair was a "total con job."
Daniels' new lawsuit also names Cohen as a defendant. It says Cohen knew that Davidson had a professional obligation not to collude with him in serving Trump's interests, but "made a conscious decision to participate in the wrongful conduct."
In the weeks before the November 2016 presidential election, Davidson and Cohen negotiated the deal to pay Daniels $130,000 in hush money.
Cohen attorney Brent Blakely could not be reached for comment.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, says in the latest lawsuit that when In Touch magazine began publishing details of her alleged affair with Trump in January, Davidson colluded with Cohen in undermining her. It was "an attempt to use and manipulate Ms. Clifford in a manner designed to benefit Mr. Cohen and Mr. Trump," the latest lawsuit says.
The complaint includes text messages between Davidson and Cohen talking about arrangements for Daniels to deny the affair in an appearance, which never occurred, on Sean Hannity's show on Fox News.
The suit accuses Davidson of secretly tipping off Cohen to Daniels' plan to talk publicly about having sex with Trump and sue the president to void her confidentiality pact.
As a result, she alleges, Cohen met with first lady Melania Trump "in order to 'get out in front' of the approaching lawsuit and publicity, and convince her that Ms. Clifford was a liar and not to be trusted."
When Davidson texted Cohen on March 2 to see if he was going to call him, the complaint says, Cohen responded with an acronym for first lady of the United States: "With flotus. Give me a minute."
By disclosing to Cohen information about Daniels' plans, the suit alleges, Davidson breached his obligation to keep her activities confidential.
Cohen recorded phone conversations with Davidson discussing Daniels, but has refused to give them to her, according to the lawsuit.
The complaint also accuses Davidson of refusing to give Daniels her entire client file and some of his text messages concerning her.
Davidson's failure to provide everything she requested has hampered her ability to cooperate with government inquiries regarding Trump, Cohen and Davidson, the lawsuit says.
The FBI raided Cohen's office, home and hotel room in New York in April for an investigation of possible bank fraud and campaign finance violations. Under court-approved search warrants, federal prosecutors were seeking records on, among other things, Cohen's negotiation of the confidentiality pact with Daniels.
