Stormy Daniels, the adult film actor who claims she had sex with Donald Trump, was arrested on Wednesday at a strip club in Ohio for letting patrons touch her while on stage, in what her lawyer has claimed was a set-up.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, was performing at Sirens strip club in Columbus when she was touched in a “non-sexual” way, according to her lawyer, Michael Avenatti.
After the performance of her “Make America Horny Again” show, Daniels was arrested by undercover officers, Avenatti said in an interview with the Washington Post.
Avenatti said in a tweet that the arrest was “a setup & politically motivated” and “reeks of desperation”. He added: “We will fight all bogus charges.”
Avenatti tweeted early on Thursday that the actor would enter not guilty pleas to three misdemeanour charges.
Just rcvd word that my client @StormyDaniels was arrested in Columbus Ohio whole performing the same act she has performed across the nation at nearly a hundred strip clubs. This was a setup & politically motivated. It reeks of desperation. We will fight all bogus charges. #Basta
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) July 12, 2018
“She was arrested for allegedly allowing a customer to touch her while on stage in a non-sexual manner,” Avenatti said. “Are you kidding me? They are devoting law enforcement resources to sting operations for this? There has to be higher priorities.”
Franklin county jail officials confirmed Daniels was released at around 6am on Thursday. Court records show Daniels posted a bail bond of $6,000. She is scheduled for arraignment on Friday on three misdemeanour counts of touching a patron at a “sexually oriented” business.
An Ohio law known as the Community Defense Act prohibits anyone who is not a family member from touching a nude or semi-nude dancer, and prohibits dancers from touching customers. Avenatti did not deny that Daniels had allowed herself to be touched.
The Columbus Dispatch reported last year that the 2007 law, introduced by a conservative religious group, was seldom enforced.
Avenatti, who has been a familiar face on US cable TV since becoming Daniels’ attorney, claimed Daniels performed the same act at Sirens that she had performed at nearly 100 strip clubs across the US.
A person who answered the phone at the strip club declined to comment.
A Columbus police spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment from the Associated Press.
Daniels has claimed she had sex with Trump in 2006, when he was married. Trump has denied any sexual relationship with Daniels.
Official Statement From @StormyDaniels: As a result of what happened last night, I will unfortunately be unable to go forward with tonight's scheduled performance. I deeply apologize to my fans in Columbus.
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) July 12, 2018
Trump’s longtime attorney and fixer Michael Cohen facilitated a $130,000 payment to Daniels days before the 2016 presidential election to stop her going public about the alleged affair, for which he was reimbursed by Trump.
Trump said such agreements were “very common among celebrities and people of wealth”.
He tweeted: “In this case it is in full force and effect and will be used in arbitration for damages against Ms Clifford. The agreement was used to stop the false and extortionist accusations made by her about an affair.”
Daniels has also claimed that a Trump associate threatened violence against her and her daughter in a clandestine meeting that same year.
She is suing Trump and Cohen and seeking to invalidate a nondisclosure agreement that she signed before the election.
Daniels was due to perform at Sirens on Wednesday and Thursday, according to its website. However, Avenatti said she would not now appear on Thursday.
