Source of hush money

Davidson says he thought Trump or one of his companies, not Michael Cohen, were true source of hush money to Stormy Daniels

Daniels' lawyer says he never believed Cohen would be on the hook for the $130,000.

BEN FEUERHERD

When Stormy Daniels' lawyer struck a $130,000 hush money deal in the fall of 2016 for Daniels to keep quiet about her claim of a sexual encounter with Donald Trump, Daniels' lawyer believed the ultimate source of the money would be Donald Trump — even though Trump's fixer, Michael Cohen, told him he would “do it myself.”

Keith Davidson, the attorney who represented Daniels as she sought payment for her story, testified that he never thought Cohen would be on the hook for the $130,000.

When asked who he thought would actually put up the funds, Davidson responded: “From Donald Trump or some corporate affiliation thereof.”

Davidson testified that after the terms of the payment had been agreed to, Cohen stalled in releasing the funds and used several excuses. Cohen claimed the computer systems he used were “all fucked up” and the Secret Service had set up firewalls in the network.

"I thought he was trying to kick the can down the road until after the election,” Davidson said.

Cohen eventually told him, “God dammit, I’ll just do it myself,” Davidson said.

He believed Cohen meant that he would not seek approval to fund the deal, but Davidson testified he thought the money was always going to be paid by Trump or one of his companies.