Former President Donald Trump’s legal team attempted to serve Stormy Daniels with a subpoena at a bar in Brooklyn, but the porn actor refused to accept it and walked away. Daniels, who is expected to be a witness at Trump’s criminal trial, is being sought for information related to a documentary about her life and involvement with Trump. The encounter led to a monthlong battle between Trump’s lawyers and Daniels’ attorney, with Trump’s lawyers asking a judge to force her to comply with the subpoena.
Daniels’ lawyer, Clark Brewster, claims they never received the subpoena and called the requests an “unwarranted fishing expedition.” The hush money case involving Daniels is the first of Trump’s four criminal cases to go to trial, with seven jurors already seated. Daniels is expected to testify about a $130,000 payment she received from Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen in 2016 to keep silent about a sexual encounter she had with Trump. Trump is accused of falsifying records to hide the nature of the payment and other negative stories during the 2016 campaign.
In a separate filing, the Manhattan district attorney’s office stated that if Trump chooses to testify at the trial, prosecutors plan to challenge his credibility by questioning him about his recent legal setbacks. Trump has been ordered to pay a civil penalty for lying about his wealth on financial statements and for defaming a writer who accused him of sexual assault. A hearing is scheduled to decide whether prosecutors can question Trump about these past legal matters during the trial.
Trump’s lawyers are seeking documents related to the promotion and editing of the documentary about Daniels. They are also requesting information on how much Daniels was compensated for the film. Trump’s attorneys argue that the documentary’s premiere on NBC’s Peacock streaming service, which occurred shortly before the trial was set to start, has generated negative publicity and could impact Trump’s ability to receive a fair trial. The subpoena also demands communications between Daniels and other potential witnesses, including Michael Cohen and Karen McDougal.
Earlier this month, Judge Merchan blocked an attempt by Trump to subpoena NBC Universal for information related to the documentary, calling it a “fishing expedition.” Trump’s legal team accuses Daniels of attempting to promote her brand and make money based on her status as a witness. The ongoing dispute over the subpoena is the latest effort by Trump’s lawyers to obtain potentially damaging information about Daniels, who is a key prosecution witness in the case. The trial is proceeding, with Trump pleading not guilty to charges of falsifying business records and denying any sexual encounter with Daniels.
