NEW YORK _ Porn star Stormy Daniels has started cooperating with federal investigators looking into whether President Donald Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen committed a crime by paying her $130,000 shortly before the 2016 election, according to a report.
The payment _ which was allegedly issued 11 days before the election in exchange for Daniels keeping quiet about sleeping with Trump in 2006 _ resulted in FBI raids at Cohen's Manhattan hotel room and office Monday, with agents confiscating emails, business records and other documents, including communications between Trump and Cohen.
Sources familiar with the matter told NBC News Tuesday that Daniels has started cooperating with prosecutors looking into whether Cohen's hush payment was illegal.
Trump could have violated federal election laws if he in any way coordinated or had knowledge of the payment.
Daniels' attorney, Michael Avenatti, declined to confirm that his client is cooperating with federal investigators, only telling the Daily News that he "can't comment."
Later Tuesday, Avenatti said he and Daniels will "fully cooperate with any search for the truth."
"Unlike others, we don't require the presence of the fine members of the FBI in order to speak honestly," Avenatti tweeted.
The stunning developments had Trump fuming Monday night.
The president claimed FBI agents "broke into" Cohen's office and hotel room, even though they had a federal search warrant.
Trump also wouldn't rule out firing special counsel Robert Mueller, who made a referral to federal prosecutors in New York after uncovering information that was evidently concerning enough for the FBI to raid Cohen.
"It's an attack on what we all stand for," Trump told reporters at the White House.
In addition to the payoff to Daniels, federal investigators are looking into a $150,000 payment to Playboy model Karen McDougal, who allegedly also had an affair with Trump in 2006.
