Because of an "unenforceable" non-disclosure agreement (NDA) that it tried to enforce, former President Donald Trump's campaign organization was ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to a former employee and her lawyer.
The Washington Post reported in February 2019 that Alpha Johnson, a former Trump campaign staffer, claimed to have grabbed her hand and bowed to kiss her on the lips on August 24, 2016, in Tampa, Florida. According to a former Trump campaign staffer, she moved her head and tried to kiss the then Republican presidential candidate, landing on the side of her mouth as she twisted her head.
BuzzFeed News initially reported Friday that the Trump campaign had to pay Johnson and her lawyer just over $ 350 thousand after trying to impose a non-disclosure agreement when it sued. In this dispute, the arbitrator, Victor Bianchini, a retired federal judge, found that the NDA was not legally valid.
Despite the fact that Johnson suspended her complaint against Trump in September 2019
Bianchini agreed that the Trump campaign would be responsible for $303,285 in legal fees. In addition, the retired judge ruled that the Trump campaign should fund arbitration expenses, estimated at about $ 50 thousand. Although the decision was reached on March 10, the information was not made public until this week.
In a statement to BuzzFeed News, Johnson's lawyer Hassan Zavari said: "The Trump campaign has tried to use an unenforceable NDA to illegally silence its critics." "We are pleased that the arbitrator considered that these efforts could not hold up and ordered the campaign to compensate our client for hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees that the campaign forced her to bear."
"I am facing a judge who is publicly questioning whether the kiss merits a federal lawsuit, and has determined that Mr.
Trump's history of such conduct is irrelevant, and I have endured constant threats to my safety," Johnson stated at the time. "I have decided for my family that I will not continue the case at this time."
Johnson previously told the Washington Post that Trump made her feel "immediately attacked" because she "didn't expect or want to." "I can still imagine his lips going straight to my face." When the publication inquired about the incident, the alleged witnesses did not confirm Johnson's story.
Trump's campaign lawyer asked Johnson to pay their legal fees when she abandoned her case. At the time, Zavari told CNN that their demand was "nonsense" and "never going to happen." The NDA was allegedly "unenforceable".
At least 18 women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct as of September 2020.
These charges were brought from kissing and coercion to rape. Trump maintained his denial of wrongdoing.
In October 2016, just before the presidential election, an old voice exchange between Trump and Billy Bush, who was a broadcaster for Access Hollywood at the time, sparked a major backlash. Trump appeared to acknowledge in that 2005 conversation that he had sometimes pushed himself to women.
"I was automatically attracted to beautiful women - I start kissing them, it's like a magnet. Just a kiss. I'm not even waiting. And when you're a star, they let you do it. The former reality TV star and former real estate mogul said "you can do anything." "Extracting them from p * * * * y."
After the hot chat became public, Trump apologized but downplayed it.
"This was locker room talk. I'm not proud of that. I apologize to my family. I apologize to the American people. In an October 2016 presidential debate, he said, "Sure, I'm not proud of it, but this is locker room talk."
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