In early 2018, the Stormy Daniels payment scandal came to light, revealing that President Trump was allegedly unaware of the payment. Michael Cohen, Trump's former attorney, initially told multiple individuals that Trump had no knowledge of the payment. Cohen even reportedly informed Melania Trump that the President was not aware of the transaction. However, Cohen later admitted to telling a New York Times reporter that Trump was unaware of the payment at the time.
During a conversation with a friend in jail, Cohen implied that he would have insisted Trump knew nothing about the payment, although he couldn't recall the specific details. Cohen's defense seemed to be that he was dishonest in 2018 but should be believed now. He also acknowledged recording conversations with reporters where he claimed Trump was unaware of the payment.
