Stormy Daniels' former lawyer says $130K payment from Trump was not 'hush money'

Donald Trump has spent another week in a Manhattan courtroom as his so-called “hush money” trial continues to unfold, but according to one witness in the case, that terminology is inaccurate to describe the subject matter as issue.

According to Ketih Davidson, who represented adult entertainer Stormy Daniels in her dealings with the former president, the disbursement she received was neither a “payoff” nor “hush money,” as the New York Post reports.

Davidson takes the stand

It was on Thursday that Davidson took the stand in Manhattan to discuss his role in representing Daniels in negotiations with Trump over claims that the two had engaged in a sexual tryst years prior.

Asked about the exchange of money between Trump and Daniels, Davidson said that he would rather characterize the transfer -- facilitated by then-Trump attorney Michael Cohen -- as “consideration in a civil settlement,” rather than “hush money,” a term that has been frequently applied to the scenario at hand.

Davidson also made efforts to explain and defend a statement he crafted for Daniels in 2018 stating that she did not have a “sexual and/or romantic affair with Donald Trump,” focusing on his own hair-splitting observation that suggested, “I don't think anyone has ever alleged that any interaction between she and Mr. Trump was romantic.”

Trump attorneys fire back

When it came time for Trump's lawyers to question Davidson, it was clear that the former president's legal team was determined to characterize the exchange of money as the result of extortion on the part of Daniels and her legal representative, as Reuters notes.

During cross-examination, Trump's attorneys teased out information about Davidson's history of representing clients who received hush money payments from famous individuals including actor Charlie Sheen.

Trump lawyer Emil Bove inquired about Davidson's involvement in soliciting money from renowned wrestler Hulk Hogan to quash a sex tape involving the entertainer.

“You're pretty well-versed in getting right up to the line without committing extortion, right?” Bove pressed, which elicited a denial from Davidson.

During their back-and-forth, Davidson did affirm the fact that Daniels signed a non-disclosure agreement with Trump requiring her to remain mum about the alleged sexual tryst, but he held firm in his assertion that the financial incentive received was not “hush money.”

Cohen's mental state discussed

Davidson's time on the stand also offered some insight into Cohen's state of mind following Trump's 2016 election, which some might view as indicative of the degree of animosity he continues to harbor against his former client.

Cohen, having apparently expected a Cabinet-level appointment in the Trump administration, was so disappointed at having been excluded from such roles, was extremely distraught and angry, according to Davidson.

Describing Cohen as “depressed” and “despondent” in December of 2016, Davidson said, “I thought he was going to kill himself.”

That characterization may play right into the hands of Trump's attorneys who are expected to argue that Cohen's upcoming and highly anticipated testimony against the former president lacks any semblance of credibility, not just because he is a convicted perjurer, but also because he is seeking to exact revenge for what he believes was a real betrayal.