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

New York, Dec 12 (IANS) 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 ksk