US President Donald Trump on Thursday admitted he reimbursed his lawyer for a $130,000 payment to a porn star, ending months of White House denial. Trump tweeted that his personal lawyer Michael Cohen used a retainer to pay off Stormy Daniels, who claims to have had sexual relations with the now president.
But Trump slammed claims of an affair with Daniels - whose real name is Stephanie Clifford - as "false and extortionist."
The sexual encounter allegedly took place in 2006, four months after Trump's wife Melania gave birth to their son Barron. Cohen's payment was made days before the November 2016 US presidential election, potentially violating campaign financing laws.
Separately, NBC news on Thursday revealed that the FBI has for months had a wiretap on Cohen's calls, including potential presidential contacts.
In a burst of tweets, Trump denied the hush money was connected to his campaign, calling it a "private agreement." Trump also said non-disclosure agreements were "very common among celebrities and people of wealth."
"Mr. Cohen, an attorney, received a monthly retainer, not from the campaign and having nothing to do with the campaign, from which he entered into, through reimbursement, a private contract between two parties, known as a non-disclosure agreement, or NDA," Trump said.