Judge sets Friday hearing on Trump bid to delay Stormy Daniels suit
By JOSH GERSTEIN 04/18/2018 09:30 PM EDT
A federal judge in Los Angeles has set a hearing for Friday on a bid by President Donald Trump and his embattled personal attorney Michael Cohen to delay a lawsuit filed by porn star Stormy Daniels, who claims to have had a sexual encounter with Trump about a decade ago.
U.S. District Court Judge S. James Otero scheduled the hearing after attorneys for Trump and Cohen said the suit should be put on hold for 90 days because of the criminal investigation federal prosecutors in New York are pursuing into Cohen's involvement in various matters, including a $130,000 pre-election payment to Daniels.
Otero did not explain in detail why he is convening the first hearing in the case, filed by Daniels last month in an attempt to have the alleged 'hush money' deal declared invalid. Daniels' attorney Michael Avenatti has argued that the agreement was never consummated, in large part because Trump never signed it.
In a brief order Wednesday, Otero — an appointee of President George W. Bush — said simply that a hearing on the stay request "is warranted."
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https://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2018/04/18/stormy-daniels-lawsuit-hearing-536925
