When it was revealed that Donald Trump had posted a $175 million bond in New York, it was discovered that the insurer who provided the bond, Don Hankey, was politically backing Trump. Hankey was also the largest shareholder in Axos Financial, the parent company of the bank that had bailed out Trump by helping him refinance his mortgages at Trump Tower and his Miami resort. Another connection between the two billionaires was attorney Keith Davidson, who represented Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal when they approached Trump for hush-money payments in 2016. Davidson played a key role in arranging payouts to the women to keep them quiet during the presidential campaign.
Despite representing these women in the hush-money payments, Davidson faced allegations from Daniels and McDougal that he had worked with Trump’s attorney, Michael Cohen, to benefit Trump. Both women claimed that Davidson colluded with Cohen to take actions that favored Trump, including arranging for Daniels to refute an article about her relationship with Trump. Davidson and Cohen eventually settled the lawsuit brought by Daniels. Davidson also faced similar allegations from McDougal, who claimed that he had lied to her about a potential payout and failed to properly inform her of her rights.
In addition to his legal troubles with his former clients, Davidson also found himself in Hankey’s orbit when he filed a civil lawsuit in Los Angeles against Don Rufus Hankey, who was accused of sexual assault, false imprisonment, and spreading sexually transmitted diseases. The suit was filed on behalf of three Jane Does and accused Rufus Hankey of engaging in harmful behavior. Despite these serious allegations, Hankey denied the claims and filed a cross-complaint against the plaintiffs. After two-and-a-half years of pretrial proceedings, two of the Jane Does agreed to a stipulated judgment with Hankey, resolving all allegations without any money changing hands.
As Davidson’s legal troubles continued, questions about his credibility as a witness arose. His past clients and cases, including representing adult film actress Capri Anderson and allegations from Hulk Hogan, raised concerns about his trustworthiness. Despite his track record, Davidson continued to represent clients in high-profile cases, including the Jane Does involved in the lawsuit against Rufus Hankey. With a trial scheduled to begin in May without Davidson’s involvement, the outcome of the case remains uncertain. The ongoing legal battles and controversies surrounding Davidson and his clients illustrate the complex and often murky world of high-profile legal representation and the challenges that can arise in representing controversial figures.
