Stormy Daniels accuses lawyer of suing Donald Trump without her permission

Stormy Daniels, the porn star who claims she had an affair with Donald Trump in 2006, has claimed her high-profile lawyer sued the US President this year without her permission.

In a statement to The Daily Beast, Ms Daniels said her lawyer, Michael Avenatti, filed a defamation lawsuit against Mr Trump “against my wishes”.

The adult film star also claimed that Mr Avenatti has not been given her any of the $A800,000 raised “for my safety and legal defence” and she says she doesn’t know how the money was spent.

Ms Daniels said Mr Avenatti “has been a great advocate in many ways” but he “has not treated me with the respect and deference a [lawyer] should show to a client”.

She said she had not decided “what to do about legal representation moving forward”.

Speaking about the money raised for her legal fees, Ms Daniels said: “For months I’ve asked Michael Avenatti to give me accounting information about the fund my supporters so generously donated to for my safety and legal defence. He has repeatedly ignored those requests.

“Days ago I demanded again, repeatedly, that he tell me how the money was being spent and how much was left. Instead of answering me, without my permission or even my knowledge Michael launched another crowd-funding campaign to raise money on my behalf. I learned about it on Twitter.”

Mr Avenatti is currently representing Ms Daniels in two separate cases.

One is a defamation lawsuit against Mr Trump that Mr Avenatti is appealing after it was dismissed by a judge in October.

The other regards ending a 2016 nondisclosure agreement that Ms Daniels signed prior to the US election which would not allow her to discuss her alleged 2006 affair with Mr Trump.

“My goal is the same as it has always been — to stand up for myself and take back my voice after being bullied and intimidated by President Trump and his minions,” Ms Daniels said.

“One way or another I’m going to continue in that fight, and I want everyone who has stood by me to know how profoundly grateful I am for their support.”

Mr Avenatti released his own statement, saying he had always been Ms Daniels’ biggest supporter.

“I have personally sacrificed an enormous amount of money, time and energy toward assisting her because I believe in her. I have always been an open book with Stormy as to all aspects of her cases and she knows that,” he said in a statement.

“The retention agreement Stormy signed back in February provided that she would pay me $US100 ($A137) and that any and all other moneys raised via a legal fund would go toward my legal fees and costs.

“Instead, the vast majority of the money raised has gone toward her security expenses and similar other expenses. The most recent campaign was simply a refresh of the prior campaign, designed to help defray some of Stormy’s expenses.”

Mr Avenatti said “hundreds of thousands of dollars” had been spent on security for Ms Daniels as she had received “a number” of death threats.

The lawyer also claimed that ‘out-of-pocket costs of litigation are also extraordinary’ before claiming that he hasn’t taken any money in lawyers’ fees.

Mr Avenatti estimated that his firm had spent $US1.5 million ($A2 million) on the case.

The lawyer, who has suggested he might run for president in 2020, is facing other legal issues of his own; he was arrested in Los Angeles last week on suspicion of domestic violence.

The lawyer was arrested on a charge after he allegedly struck girlfriend Mareli Miniutti during an altercation at his apartment last week.

This week, US prosecutors declined to file charges.

Mr Avenatti, who has vehemently denied all allegations, released a statement saying he is “grateful for justice.”