Stormy Daniels and the Sketch of Silence
On Tuesday, Stormy Daniels released a sketch of the man that she says threatened her into silence about her alleged affair with President Donald Trump on ABC’s The View.
In May 2011, Daniels agreed to give an interview to a magazine for $15,000, voiding the contract that guaranteed her secrecy. In her interview with Anderson Cooper for CBS’s 60 Minutes, Daniels recounted that weeks after her arrangement with the publication, an unknown man had approached her, and her young daughter, at a Las Vegas parking vicinity.
Daniels admitted in her 60 Minutes interview that she had been unsuspecting of the man’s intention as there was “nothing alarming about the way he looked.” The alleged perpetrator had warned Daniels to “leave Trump alone” and stated that it would be a shame for her daughter if anything happened to Daniels. Consequently, Daniels did not report the encounter to the authorities nor did she proceed with the interview.
The man in the composite sketch, unveiled on The View, is described as a “lean but fit” Caucasian male in his 30s to early 40s and is approximately 5’9″ to 6′ tall.
The alleged sexual encounter occurred in Trump’s hotel room in 2006, and Daniels signed a non-disclosure agreement just days before the 2016 election. The porn star is now suing the president in hopes of breaking that agreement. Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, claimed that he created the non-disclosure agreement and used $130,000 of his personal money as payment to Daniels. Cohen’s attorney has denied his client’s affiliation with the threat towards Daniels.
Last week, the FBI raided Cohen’s hotel room, office, and home in New York City. They seized documents related to the payment and bank statements containing Daniel’s real name, Stephanie Clifford. After the raid, Trump’s lawyers requested for the opportunity to review all documents and see which ones would be protected by attorney-client privilege. Cohen’s attorneys sought a temporary restraining order to prevent furthering the investigation, and asked that a third party investigation team review the materials.
Daniels said in her 60 Minutes interview that even if she saw the man again today, she would recognize him instantly. Daniels’ lawyer Michael Avenatti, who appeared with Daniels on The View, offered a $100,000 dollar reward to anyone who can identify the man in the sketch. In addition, Avenatti stated sources with tips should email their information to his specially created email “IDTheThug@gmail.com”.
