Donald Trump: from paying an adult movie star to a possible indictment

Silence Star Purchase Fee porn movies A few days before the 2016 presidential election, a New York state court may rule on the first criminal charge against Donald Trump. Something unprecedented for a former president in US history.

What did porn actress Stormy Daniels get $130,000 for?

At a pivotal moment in the 2016 presidential campaign, intense behind-the-scenes negotiations were underway to prevent embarrassing and potentially damaging leaks for the Republican nominee.

In August, the tabloid The National Enquirer, whose boss is close to Donald Trump- Bought for $150,000 from model Karen McDougal the rights to her account of a relationship she claims she had with a billionaire.

The goal was to prevent disclosure of his statements through a method known as “catch and kill” in the United States, where confidentiality provisions are common.

Meanwhile, porn actress Stephanie Clifford, nicknamed Stormy Daniels, also wanted to monetize her story with Trump which he claims happened in 2006 when he was already married to his wife Melania.

The newspaper linked Daniels to one of the lawyers Trump, Michael Cohen. At the end of October 2016, he paid Daniels $130,000 in exchange for a non-disclosure agreement.

The payment was disclosed by The Wall Street Journal in January 2018, but Cohen and Trump They denied the information, and the former president (2017–2021) has repeatedly denied having a relationship with Daniels.

Unannounced campaign giveaway?

Cohen saw the legal fence close around him and ended up cooperating with justice. He pleaded guilty to tax and bank fraud in 2018 in federal court in Manhattan, and to violating campaign finance laws.

“Cohen made these payments” to Daniels to buy the actress’ silence “for the purpose of influencing the 2016 presidential election,” the federal prosecutor said at the time.

Except Trump The organization returned to Cohen the amount paid to Daniels, and US justice considers this an undeclared campaign gift for Trumpsomething that violates election finance laws.

In December 2018, Michael Cohen claimed he was acting on orders Trump and was sentenced to three years in prison.

Possible charges against Trump?

“There is nothing criminal in the payment itself. What is illegal is falsifying company business documents,” John Coffey, a Columbia University law professor who specializes in financial and malfeasance, told AFP.

” Trump An organization is a company,” and the reimbursement paid to Michael Cohen was “declared to be for legal costs,” he adds. According to American justice, these are false statements.

If prosecutors can convince jurors that the document forgery was committed to cover up another crime—such as an undeclared campaign gift—the violation could become a felony, which, in the expert’s opinion, could be punishable by a term of imprisonment up to four years.

But Coffey says that argument isn’t necessarily easy to prove in court.

How does Donald defend himself? Trump?

Donald Trump On his Truth Social platform Saturday, he assured that he would be “arrested” on Tuesday and urged his followers to speak out against a possible grand jury indictment by New York State Attorney’s Office in Manhattan, Democrat Alvin Bragg.

For each of the cases in which it is being investigated Trump He denounces the political “witch hunt” by Democratic magistrates, especially New York State Attorney General (Local Attorney General) Letitia James.

In the case involving Stormy Daniels, the lawyers Trump He is also presented as a victim of “extortion” by the actress.

Another angle of attack is the reliability and reputation of Michael Cohen, a key prosecution witness and Donald’s sworn enemy. Trump. The lawyer was also found guilty of lying to Congress during an investigation into possible Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign.

What are the implications for the presidential campaign Trump?

Possible verdict Trump before a New York court will not be legally prevented Trump continues to run for president of the United States in 2024, according to John Coffey.

“It will have a stigma effect. In what degree? I don’t know,” said the professor. He believes the former president will do everything possible to delay the process when his opponents in his party’s primaries want him convicted.

White House monitors possible protests

This Sunday, the White House indicated that it was monitoring possible protests in case they Donald Trump be arrested this Tuesday, the former Republican (2017-2021) president assured on Saturday.

“We always control the situation as best we can. And, obviously, we don’t want there to be violence, certainly not to the extreme of what we saw on January 6, 2021,” one of the press secretaries of the US president said on Fox. , John Kirby.

Warning about Trump about his possible arrest, he called for protest and used rhetoric reminiscent of the one he used in the days leading up to the storming of the Capitol, when he also called on his supporters to demonstrate against the election results in which he was defeated by Democrat Joe Biden.

“We’re monitoring it and will certainly be watching it closely,” Kirby said of these possible protests, stressing that they are working “hand in hand” with local and state authorities across the country. (According to EFE and AFP)