![]() ![]() What do legal experts say about the chances of conviction? In a press conference, Bragg cited state election law that makes it a “crime to conspire to promote a candidacy by unlawful means,” and federal campaign law that sets contribution limits. In order for the charge to be bumped up to a felony, according to New York law, one must commit the crime of falsifying business records when the “intent to defraud includes an intent to commit another crime or to aid or conceal the commission thereof.” In New York, falsifying business records can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony. “Further, participants in the scheme took steps that mischaracterized, for tax purposes, the true nature of the reimbursements.” “In total, 34 false entries were made in New York business records to conceal the initial covert $130,000 payment,” Bragg said. The DA alleges that Trump falsified business records, specifically that the Trump Organization recorded payments to Cohen as legal fees when they were actually reimbursements to Cohen for hush money paid to Daniels. But the Justice Department said, “In truth and in fact, there was no such retainer agreement, and the monthly invoices COHEN submitted were not in connection with any legal services he had provided in 2017.” What crime may have been committed? The payments were described by the Trump Organization as “retainer” fees for legal work in 2017. (After Trump was elected, he said he would put his business assets in a trust and that his sons would run his business.) and Allen Weisselberg, Cohen told the House committee. Other checks came from a trust account and were signed by two other company executives, Donald Trump Jr. 27, 2019, that Trump “personally signed from his personal bank account” a check for $35,000. Over the course of the year, Cohen received $420,000 to cover the costs of the $130,000 payment and $50,000 for “tech services,” plus more to cover taxes, and a $60,000 bonus.Ĭohen told the House oversight committee in testimony on Feb. How and when did Trump and the Trump Organization reimburse Essential Consultants LLC?Īccording to his 2018 federal plea agreement, Cohen sought reimbursement in January 2017 from the Trump Organization and started receiving $35,000 in monthly payments in February. The Manhattan DA’s statement of facts and press release reference AMI’s payment to McDougal to make the broader charge that Trump violated state and federal election laws. In McDougal’s case, American Media Inc., which at the time published the National Enquirer, admitted in a plea agreement that it paid McDougal in cooperation with the Trump campaign. The other woman who received a payment was Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who claimed she had an extended affair with Trump that began in 2006. Why was the payment made?Īccording to federal prosecutors who prosecuted Cohen, the $130,000 paid to Daniels was one of two payments totaling $280,000 Cohen “made to silence two women who otherwise planned to speak publicly about their alleged affairs with a presidential candidate, thereby intending to influence the 2016 presidential election.” Specifically, Daniels was paid $130,000 in exchange for signing a nondisclosure agreement that barred her from talking about her alleged sexual encounter with Trump. Trump repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal crimes that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election,” Bragg said in a press release. “The People of the State of New York allege that Donald J. The presidential election was less than two weeks later on Nov. When was the payment made?Īccording to the Manhattan DA’s statement of facts, Essential Consultants made the payment on Oct. ![]() Cohen said he incorporated Essential Consultants LLC in Delaware to make the payment. In August 2018, Trump’s then personal attorney Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to two campaign finance law violations and admitted in open court that he paid $130,000 to Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, to silence her during the 2016 presidential election “at the direction of” Trump. ![]() Here we answer some questions about the events leading up to the criminal indictment – the first ever filed against a U.S. The 34-count indictment, brought by the Manhattan district attorney’s office, centers on allegations that Trump conspired to pay porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet during the 2016 presidential election about an alleged sexual encounter and then falsified business records to cover up state and federal election law violations. ![]()
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