But this had nothing to do with Trump?

According to NBC News, longtime Trump pal and attorney Michael Cohen used his Trump.org email address to discuss, and later to wire money to pay off Stormy Daniels (real name: Stephanie Clifford) before the 2016 election.

The $130,000 payment was to buy Daniels’ silence over an affair she and Trump had in 2006, while Trump’s third wife was home with their new baby.

And Clifford’s attorney at the time addressed correspondence to Cohen in his capacity at the Trump Organization and as “Special Counsel to Donald J. Trump,” the source said.

Indeed.

The star of such hits as “The Witches of Breastwick,” Porking With Pride 2,” and “Trailer Trash Nurses 7” was set to come forward in October 2016, at the same time as over a dozen other women were coming forward and describing different encounters of sexual misconduct by then-candidate Trump.

The 2005 “Access Hollywood” video was a warning to the world of just what kind of scummy character Donald Trump was, but nobody seemed to care.

It’s a fair question to wonder why, out of all of those accusing Trump of foul behavior, that this one required a payoff.

It may be because it wasn’t just a single incident of disgusting behavior, but an actual affair, and one that could be proven.

The payoff has come under scrutiny, as some suggest it is a violation of campaign finance laws. Cohen has tried to get around that by claiming the payoff came from his own, personal funds.

Meanwhile, another report from earlier in the week is that Cohen had sought out his client to get reimbursed.

Yeah, Trump has a history of leaving people hanging. Cohen should have known that.

“Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms. Clifford, and neither reimbursed me for the payment, either directly or indirectly,” Cohen said in that statement.

But an email uncovered in the last 24 hours and provided to NBC News by Clifford’s current attorney, Michael Avenatti, shows First Republic Bank and Cohen communicated about the money using his Trump company email address, not his personal gmail account.

“I think this document seriously calls into question the prior representation of Mr. Cohen and the White House relating to the source of the monies paid to Ms. Clifford in an effort to silence her,” said Avenatti, who is representing Clifford in a lawsuit against Trump.

“We smell smoke.”

The subject line for the email read: RE: First Republic Bank Transfer, and the actual message was in regards to funds transferred into a checking account.

The day after that email, Cohen transferred funds to the account of Keith Davidson, Daniels’ attorney, at the time.

“The $130,000 question, however, is from whose account was the money transferred on Oct. 26, 2016.” Avenatti said.

He said the email “suggests” it might have been a Trump Organization account since the correspondence was through Cohen’s Trump email. He said it was “curious” that after Cohen got the email, he immediately forwarded it to his personal gmail and then used gmail to forward it to Davidson, presumably to show the money was ready to be wired.

“Mr. Cohen should immediately provide the prior emails [between him and the bank] to show exactly where the money came from,” Avenatti said.

The lawsuit Daniels is pressing now contends that by talking about the agreement, Cohen has broken the nondisclosure contract, and she is now free to tell her story.

She also contends that Trump never signed the agreement, himself.

In the initial contract, the two parties used pseudonyms. Daniels was referred to as Peggy Peterson and the second is David Dennison.

While the true identity of David Dennison is blacked out in one of the documents, Avenatti has said that person is Donald Trump.

Clifford signed both the agreement and a side letter agreement using her professional name on Oct. 28, 2016. Cohen signed the document the same day, but blank spaces where “DD” was supposed to sign are empty.

That means the agreement is invalid and Clifford is free to talk, Avenatti contends. Her lawsuit asks a court to affirm their position.

Cohen, however, has filed his own lawsuit, in an attempt to stop Daniels from talking or doing any more press about the affair or the payoff.

Said attorney Lawrence Rosen in an email:

“The designated judge from the arbitration tribunal found that Ms. Clifford had violated the agreement and enjoined her from, among other things, filing this lawsuit,” Rosen said in a statement to media outlets.

Avenatti insists that because the agreement was not signed by Trump (excuse me… David Dennison), it is meaningless.

“We do not take kindly to these threats, nor we will be intimidated,” he told NBC News.

The suit goes on to suggest that Trump knows exactly what Cohen is doing and is well aware of his efforts to keep Daniels quiet.