NEW YORK _ Wary he might incriminate himself, embattled Trump attorney Michael Cohen announced Wednesday that he will refuse to answer questions under oath about a lawsuit filed against him by porn star Stormy Daniels.
Cohen, who Is concurrently facing a criminal investigation in New York, said in a California court filing that he will invoke his Fifth Amendment rights if he's asked to testify about a $130,000 payment he made to Daniels 11 days before the 2016 election.
Daniels says took the money in exchange for signing a "hush agreement" that bars her from speaking publically about having sex with President Donald Trump in 2006.
"I first realized that my Fifth Amendment rights would be implicated in this case, after I considered the events of April 9," Cohen said in the filing, referencing the high-profile FBI raids at his Manhattan office and hotel room, during which agents confiscated a cache of records relating to the Daniels payment, including communications with Trump.
Cohen's attorney did not respond to a request for comment.
Daniels' attorney, Michael Avenatti, called Cohen's latest filing a "stunning development."
"Never before in our nation's history has the attorney for the sitting President invoked the 5th Amend in connection with issues surrounding the President," Avenatti tweeted. "It is esp. stunning seeing as (Cohen) served as the 'fixer' for Mr. Trump for over 10 yrs."
