I can't find any media reports about it, but there is a rumor on Twitter/X that a whistleblower has come forward claiming jailed attorney Michael Avenatti told him that the $130k payoff from Trump to Stormy Daniels was actually a plot devised by Michael Cohen to extort the money from Trump. According to the whistleblower, Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels were having an affair which started in 2006. Together they came up with the idea to get Trump to pay Daniels money for her silence when she claimed Trump slept with her. It was Cohen who approached Trump and advised him to pay her off for her silence. Trump denied he ever slept with Daniels. Daniels and her attorney both signed separate sworn statements at the time that Daniels never had sex with Trump.
This could be just more nonsense from idiots on Twitter, but if true this would be a bombshell story. For one thing, Bragg's entire case that Trump paid off Daniels to cover up an affair would be blown up. If there was no affair there was no cover up. It is a stupid argument by Bragg to begin with but he knows he has an anti-Trump judge and will most like get an anti-Trump jury too. Of all the cases against Trump this one is the weakest, and that is saying something.
Bragg has indicated he intends to put both Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen on the stand in Trump's trial. What if Trump's lawyers know of the affair between Cohen and Daniels? What if they question the two witnesses on the stand and they lie, and Trump's attorney prove they are lying? Is this rumor a warning to Daniels and Cohen about their testimony? If Bragg decides not to put them on teh stand then we know the rumor is probably true.
Bragg's case is so stupid I think his real intention is to force Trump to testify so Bragg can ask him if he had sex with Daniels. It is a perjury trap. But if this Avenatti rumor is true, then Trump just flipped the switch on Bragg and has set him up for what could be a colossal embarrassment.