The Republican former president of the USA, Donald Trump, filed through his legal representatives a notice that he is withdrawing the lawsuit and action he had filed against the former lawyer, Michael Cohen.

Mr Trump filed a lawsuit against his longtime lawyer, confidant and fixer on April 12, seeking at least half a billion euros from the criminal expert for testifying against him before a Manhattan grand jury, which eventually prosecution of the former head of state.

The tempestuous tycoon was due to be called to testify by Mr Cohen’s lawyers on Monday.

His opponent’s legal team welcomed the former president’s decision to drop the lawsuit.

In May, he asked a court to dismiss the lawsuit, which he saw as “abusive action” aimed at “revenge” and “witness intimidation.” Mr. Cohen’s side reiterated yesterday that the lawsuit was simply an attempt at intimidation and a revenge tactic.

Donald Trump filed the lawsuit eight days after he pleaded not guilty to 34 criminal charges by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office related to the payment of $130,000 to a pornographic actress to ensure her silence about their meetings before the presidential election of 2016.

This was the first of four criminal proceedings the former president is now facing. The remaining three are related to his attempt to overturn the 2020 election result, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden, and his handling of classified documents after he left the White House.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

A spokesman for Donald Trump said his legal battle with Mr Cohen was simply being put on hold because of his remaining cases and would resume at a later date.

The former president remains, despite his problems with justice, the main contender for the nomination of his party, the Republicans, to be its candidate in the 2024 presidential elections.

Michael Cohen served part of a three-year prison sentence after pleading guilty in 2018 to campaign finance violations and tax evasion. The book he published in 2020 under the title Disloyal: A Memoir (untranslated in Greek) became a bestseller at no. 1 of the New York Times.

In the lawsuit, Mr. Trump accused Mr. Cohen of violating rules regarding the confidentiality of attorney-client communications, of spreading falsehoods in his appearances and of defaming his honor and reputation.