Judge dismisses Stormy Daniels’ defamation case against Cohen

Washington, Feb 6 (IANS) A US judge earlier this week dismissed porn star Stormy Daniels' defamation claim against Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen, filed as part of her ongoing legal battle with the President.

The defamation claim brought by Daniels against Cohen was dismissed by District Judge S. James Otero "with prejudice" -- meaning it cannot be brought again against him. It is just one of the lawsuits that Daniels filed that involve Cohen, CNN reported on Tuesday.

In the case, Daniels had asserted that Cohen insinuated she was a liar in a public statement denying that she and Trump had an affair.

Daniels' lawyer Michael Avenatti said the defamation case was resolved after the legal teams for Daniels and Cohen asked for the claim to be dismissed.

"The court already stated we received everything we asked for because Cohen and Trump were forced to admit we were right all along," Avenatti said in a statement.

But Cohen's lawyer Brent Blakely called the ruling a "clear win" for his client. "Rather than fighting in court, Daniels and her attorney instead chose to abandon the case -- the legal equivalent of running away," Blakely said.

Daniels had previously filed a defamation lawsuit against Trump that was dismissed by the same judge. The case in question was separate from the initial lawsuit Daniels filed against Cohen and Trump.

She was also suing Cohen and Trump over the $130,000 payment made to her to keep silent about the alleged affair in the weeks leading up to the 2016 presidential election.