Stormy Daniels ordered to pay Trump's attorneys in defamation case

A federal judge in California has ordered pornstar Stormy Daniels to pay nearly $300,000 in fees, costs and sanctions to the lawyers representing President Donald Trump in the defamation suit she brought against Trump earlier this year.

Trump's attorney, Charles Harder, had asked for a total of nearly $780,000 from the adult film actress -- $389,000 in attorney fees and another $389,000 in sanctions in a hearing last week, CNN reported.

In a statement, Harder called Tuesday's ruling "a total victory for the President".

"The court's order, along with the court's prior order dismissing Stormy Daniels' defamation case against the President, together constitute a total victory for the President, and a total defeat for Stormy Daniels in this case," Harder said.

The defamation suit -- separate from the original lawsuit about the non-disclosure agreement Daniels signed with former Trump attorney Michael Cohen -- was brought earlier this year after the President called an allegation by Daniels that an unknown man threatened her in a parking lot to keep quiet about her alleged affair with Trump a "total con job" in a tweet.

Daniels has claimed that she and Trump had an affair in 2006. Trump has denied the allegation.

Daniels' lawyer Michael Avenatti said the ruling Tuesday was a partial win for him and his client.

"Trump asked for $800k in attorneys' fees, costs and sanctions from the minor defamation case. The ct awarded well less than 1/2, recognizing that the request was gross & excessive," Avenatti said in a tweet that has since been deleted.

"The amount in fees awarded Stormy in the main NDA case will be at least $1 million more than this."

--IANS

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