A Marlboro Connection To Trump Vs. Stormy Daniels: Report

MARLBORO, NJ — There is a tenuous Marlboro Twp. connection to the ongoing battle between President Donald Trump and porn star Stormy Daniels, according to an Asbury Park Press report.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, said she had an affair with Trump while he was married to Melania, according to The New York Times. Just before the 2016 election, Trump paid Daniels $130,000 in a non-disclosure agreement that prevents her from speaking about the alleged affair, according to the report.

Trump's long-time personal lawyer Michael Cohen has publicly confirmed the Trump team paid Daniels $130,000, according to the report. The Marlboro connection is that Cohen hired the law partner of Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik to represent a company created by Trump's personal attorney.

Cohen created an entity, EC, LLC, which it used to pay Daniels the $130,000 in hush money, according to the Press.

Efforts to obtain comment from Hornik were not immediately successful. But Hornik later confirmed to Patch that his law partner, Larry Rosen, was retained to represent EC, LLC. Rosen represented the LLC in an arbitration case filed as "Peggy Peterson" in California. Peggy Peterson has been revealed to be a pseudonym for Daniels.

Marlboro's Mayor, Hornik, is a Democrat. He and Rosen work together at their law firm, LaRocca, Hornik, Rosen, Greenberg & Blaha, which is based in Manhattan.

Daniels wants to tell her story in a "60 Minutes" interview, according to The New York Times. Trump's legal team is considering blocking that interview, on the grounds that it violates the terms of the non-disclosure agreement she signed. Daniels argues that NDA is void because Trump himself never signed it. Anderson Cooper filmed the interview last Thursday with Daniels, and it is scheduled to air on "60 Minutes" March 18.

When asked by Buzzfeed, Cohen referred all questions Rosen. Cohen told BuzzFeed News that Rosen is “my attorney handling this matter.”

Hornik told the Asbury Park Press that Rosen has represented the Trump Organization for years prior to Trump being elected president.

"Regardless of what you think about President Trump, he can pick anyone to represent him," Hornik told the publication. "It's a compliment he has chosen our New York office and my partner Larry Rosen in the past."

Read The Asbury Park Press report here.

Hornik is one of the few Democratic mayors in traditionally Republican Monmouth County.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly characterized Larry Rosen's role in the $130,000 payment for Stormy Daniels. Rosen did not facilitate the payment. Patch regrets the error.

Top photo of Stormy Daniels via Shutterstock; photo taken March 9, 2018.