<p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Ex-US President Donald Trump is suing his former lawyer for $500m (£400m), alleging breach of contract.</b></span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;">He says Michael Cohen breached his duty as attorney to act in his client's best interests.</p><p style="text-align: justify; ">The lawsuit comes amid escalating attacks from Trump allies on Cohen, who is a key witness in a New York investigation into the ex-president.</p><p style="text-align: justify; ">A Manhattan prosecutor last week charged Mr Trump with fraud in relation to hush money payments to a porn star.</p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Cohen's spokesman and lawyer, Lanny Davis, told the BBC he was confident the lawsuit against his client would fail.</p><p style="text-align: justify; ">The legal action, filed in a Florida federal court, also accuses Cohen of making "improper, self-serving, and malicious statements about his former client, his family members, and his business".</p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Cohen worked as Mr Trump's attorney for over a decade. He was also a vice-president at the Trump Organization, and was often described as Mr Trump's fixer.</p><p style="text-align: justify; ">But the two had a major falling out after the 2016 election, as investigators began looking into several of Mr Trump's aides.</p><p style="text-align: justify; ">In 2018, Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison and a fine after pleading guilty to charges of fraud and campaign finance violations.</p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Now out of prison, Cohen has become a high-profile critic of Mr Trump, and a frequent guest on news programmes.</p><p style="text-align: justify; ">He has written a book and hosts a podcast, both of which Mr Trump cites in the lawsuit.</p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Cohen's lawyer, Mr Davis, said in a statement to the BBC: "Mr Trump appears once again to be using and abusing the judicial system as a form of harassment and intimidation against Michael Cohen.</p><p style="text-align: justify; ">"It appears he is terrified by his looming legal perils and is attempting to send a message to other potential witnesses who are co-operating with prosecutors against him."</p><p style="text-align: justify; ">"Mr Cohen will not be deterred and is confident that the suit will fail based on the facts and the law."</p><p style="text-align: justify; ">New York prosecutors have charged Mr Trump with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, in what they say was an effort to cover up payments intended to keep a porn star, Stormy Daniels, quiet about her alleged affair with Mr Trump.</p><p style="text-align: justify; ">On 4 April, Mr Trump appeared in Manhattan criminal court - the first former US president ever indicted on criminal charges. He pleaded not guilty.</p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Cohen has admitted that as Trump's fixer, he facilitated a $130,000 pay-out to Ms Daniels.</p><p style="text-align: justify; ">As Mr Trump's court date approached, Cohen made numerous appearances on major network news programmes and criticised his former boss.</p><p style="text-align: justify; ">"He's not thick-skinned," Cohen told CNN after Mr Trump's indictment. "He's actually very thin-skinned, and he has a very fragile ego." BBC</p><p style="text-align: justify;">bnbd24/kh</p>