In a dramatic legal twist, Michael Cohen, the former attorney of ex-President Donald Trump, has reached a settlement in a million-dollar lawsuit against the Trump Organization, mere days before the scheduled trial was set to commence. The lawsuit, filed in 2019, revolved around allegations that the Trump Organization had failed to pay Cohen approximately $1.9 million in legal fees and had breached an agreement to cover his extensive legal expenses when he appeared before Congress. Cohen facilitated Trump’s hush money payments to ex-mistress Stormy Daniels.
The dispute, which has been closely watched by the media and the public alike, reached a critical juncture during a court hearing in State Supreme Court in Manhattan, where both parties announced the surprise settlement agreement. Jury selection for the high-profile case had been slated to begin on the following Monday, adding to the tension surrounding the legal battle.
According to the lawsuit filed by Cohen via ABC News, the Trump Organization had reneged on its commitment to cover his substantial attorneys’ fees and costs, leading to what Cohen claimed were “millions of dollars in unreimbursed attorneys’ fees and costs” incurred by him during various legal proceedings. These legal proceedings notably included Cohen’s appearances in congressional hearings and his cooperation with investigations, most notably the high-stakes probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller concerning Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
The specifics of the settlement agreement were not immediately made public, leaving observers speculating about the terms that led to the resolution of the contentious dispute. The sudden resolution of the case may raise questions about the factors that motivated both parties to reach a settlement at this juncture, and whether any confidential terms were agreed upon as part of the agreement.
Interestingly, this legal clash between Cohen and the Trump Organization is not the only legal battle unfolding between the two parties. Earlier in the year, the tables were turned when Donald Trump filed a counter-suit against Michael Cohen in a federal court in Florida, seeking a staggering $500 million in damages. In Trump’s counter-lawsuit, he alleged a breach of attorney-client relationship and unjust enrichment on Cohen’s part, further intensifying the legal drama surrounding the former associates.
Trump’s lawsuit against Cohen sought to paint a picture of continuous and escalating improper conduct on the part of his former lawyer, reaching what was described as a “proverbial crescendo” that had caused significant reputational harm to the former president. The ongoing legal battle between these two high-profile figures promises to continue drawing attention and speculation from the public and legal experts alike.
The Trump Organization and former President Donald Trump’s one-time attorney Michael Cohen agreed Friday to settle a million-dollar dispute, just days before a jury trial was scheduled to start.
Cohen had accused the Trump Organization of failing to pay his legal fees of about $1 million.
The two sides announced the settlement agreement during a court hearing Friday in State Supreme Court in Manhattan.
Jury selection in the case was to have started Monday.
In the suit, Cohen alleged the Trump Organization broke an agreement to cover his legal bills when he appeared at congressional hearings and participated in investigations, including the probe by special counsel Robert Mueller about Russian election interference.
