(CNN) — Rudy Giuliani doubled down Saturday (May 5) night on his argument that President Donald Trump’s reimbursement of his personal lawyer for a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels didn’t violate campaign finance law.
“The President of the United States did not in any way violate the campaign finance law,” Giuliani, who recently joined Trump’s personal legal team, told Fox News’ Jeanine Pirro on “Justice with Judge Jeanine.”
“Every campaign finance expert, Republican and Democrat, will tell you that if it was for another purpose other than just campaigns, and even if it was for campaign purposes, if it was to save his family, to save embarrassment, it’s not a campaign donation,” Giuliani said. “And, second, even if it was a campaign donation, the President reimbursed it fully with a payment of $35,000 a month that paid for that and other expenses. No need to go beyond that. Case over.”
Giuliani said in an Fox News interview on Wednesday that Trump paid back his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, the $130,000 in hush money that Cohen paid Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election for her discretion about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump more than 10 years earlier.
Giuliani’s statement to Fox News’ Sean Hannity contradicted Trump, who previously denied knowledge of the payment.
Trump on Thursday denied any campaign money was used to reimburse Cohen and said he was paid via retainer.
