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☆ Opinion: Both sides brought their A-game for opening of Trump’s trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Opinion Norman Eisen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Opening statements, followed by a few minutes of testimony from the first witness, concluded Monday in the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump. Norm Eisen Courtesy Norm EisenMy takeaway: The prosecution has the upper hand based on the evidence and the law, and Trump knows it. As expected, prosecutor Matthew Colangelo hammered home his theory of the case: that it is all about election interference and its cover-up. Colangelo made the complex simple, going through the chronology of evidence that prosecutors will present to prove the election interference. ACT THREE: A payment to another person with a damaging story — Karen McDougal, who alleged she had an affair with Trump.

Persons: Norman Eisen, “, Donald Trump, Norm Eisen, Trump, Matthew Colangelo, ”, Colangelo, David Pecker, Pecker, Michael Cohen, Dino Sajudin, Karen McDougal, Hope Hicks, Trump’s, Stormy Daniels, Cohen, Daniels, Todd Blanche, Blanche, ” Blanche, Juan Merchan, –, “ Trump, couldn’t, Hicks Organizations: CNN, ACT ONE, Trump, American Media, National Enquirer, ACT FOUR, White House, ACT FIVE, Trump Organization, ” Locations: Trump

☆ How Tabloids Used ‘Catch-and-Kill’ to Trade on Secrets of Celebrities
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Michael Rothfeld | More About Michael Rothfeld | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Catch-and-kill” is a term coined by old-time tabloid editors for buying the exclusive rights to stories, or “catching” them, for the specific purpose of ensuring the information never becomes public. Why would anyone want to spend money on a story that it never intends to publish? In the world of tabloid journalism, where ethical lines are blurry, deciding what to publish and why is often a calculus that covers favors doled out and chits called in. In 2003, Mr. Pecker’s company, American Media Inc., bought several muscle magazines founded by a mentor of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the bodybuilding legend and movie star. When Mr. Schwarzenegger, who was often featured in those magazines, jumped into the recall election to replace California’s governor, Mr. Pecker ordered his staff to buy up negative stories about him in order to protect his investment, former employees said.

Persons: ”, chits, David Pecker, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Schwarzenegger, Pecker Organizations: National Enquirer, American Media Inc

☆ An Unprecedented Trial Opens With Two Visions of Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Jonah E. Bromwich | Ben Protess | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Manhattan prosecutors delivered a raw recounting of Donald J. Trump’s seamy past on Monday as they debuted their case against him to jurors, the nation and the world, reducing the former president to a co-conspirator in a plot to cover up three sex scandals that threatened his 2016 election win. Their opening statement was a pivotal moment in the first prosecution of an American president, a sweeping synopsis of the case against Mr. Trump, who watched from the defense table, occasionally shaking his head. Moments later, Mr. Trump’s lawyer delivered his own opening, beginning with the simple claim that “President Trump is innocent,” then noting that he is once again the presumptive Republican nominee and concluding with an exhortation for jurors to “use your common sense.”The jury of 12 New Yorkers who will weigh Mr. Trump’s legal fate before millions of voters decide his political future also heard brief testimony from the prosecution’s leadoff witness, David Pecker, a former tabloid publisher who was close with Mr. Trump. Mr. Pecker, who ran The National Enquirer, testified that his supermarket tabloids practiced “checkbook journalism.” In this case, prosecutors say, he bought and buried stories that could have imperiled Mr. Trump’s 2016 campaign.

Persons: Donald J, Trump’s, Trump, ”, Yorkers, David Pecker, Pecker Organizations: Republican, Mr, National Enquirer

CNN —The first criminal trial of Donald Trump is officially underway. Prosecutors and Trump’s attorneys delivered opening statements and the first witness – a former National Enquirer publisher – was called Monday in the historic and unprecedented criminal trial of a former president. “The defendant Donald Trump orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election,” said prosecutor Matthew Colangelo told jurors. At the hearing, Trump’s attorneys came to an agreement with the New York attorney general’s office on the terms of that $175 million bond. Trump’s attorneys representing him in the civil matter later stopped by the criminal trial and spoke to cameras in the hallway outside the courtroom where Trump sat at the defense table.

Persons: Donald Trump, –, Stormy Daniels, Trump, ” Trump, Judge Juan Merchan, ”, Matthew Colangelo, “, ” Colangelo, Cohen, David Pecker, Colangelo, it’s, Todd Blanche, “ Donald Trump, ” Blanche, he’s, Blanche didn’t, It’s, Blanche, Cohen’s, Trump ”, Trump’s, Michael Cohen, President Trump, He’s, Pecker, Karen McDougal –, Letitia James, James ’, ” Alina Habba, Merchan, Chris Conroy, Emil Bove Organizations: CNN, Prosecutors, National Enquirer, Trump, American Media Inc, Defense, AMI, Pecker’s AMI, New, Specialty Insurance Locations: New York

☆ Will Trump testify? What he says and why it’s a risky bet
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Video Ad Feedback Smerconish: Will Trump testify? While he is under no obligation to testify, Trump has promised he will. And the truth is that there’s no case, they have no case,” Trump said. When juries and a judge have seen Trump testify, he lostThe first Carroll trial jury in 2023 was played a videotape of Trump’s deposition by lawyers. Not a hush money case, but an election interference caseOne other key thing to note out of the prosecution’s opening statement is that they want to portray this case as an election interference case rather than a hush money case.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Michael Cohen, National Enquirer David Pecker, Cohen, Pecker, Will Trump, I’m, ” Trump, Juan Merchan, Kara Scannell, Lauren del Valle, Jeremy Herb, E, Jean Carroll, ►, – Trump, Merchan, Hillary Clinton, Joey Jackson, Jackson, “, Jake Tapper, Will Scharf, Scharf, ”, ” Scharf, Carroll, Marla Maples, Read, Feedback Trump, Arthur Engoron, reimbursing Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Clifford, Daniels, … … …, CNN’s Paula Reid Organizations: CNN — Prosecutors, New, National Enquirer, Trump, CNN, Mar, Trump Organization, Prosecutors Locations: New York

☆ Trump trial set for opening statements and first witness testimony: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Prosecutors and defense lawyers in the New York hush money trial of Donald Trump are set Monday to deliver opening statements and start calling witnesses to testify. Cohen paid $130,000 to Daniels less than two weeks before the election, which Trump went on to win. American Media earlier in 2016 also allegedly paid $150,000 to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who also says she had an extramarital affair with Trump. Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records in order to conceal his reimbursement to Cohen for paying off Daniels. Trump in a post Monday morning on Truth Social defended those payments to Cohen as he railed against the DA.

Persons: Donald Trump, David Pecker, Pecker, Trump's, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Cohen, Daniels, Trump, Karen McDougal, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Bragg Organizations: U.S, Manhattan Criminal, National Enquirer, American Media, NBC News, Trump, Republican, Daniels . Manhattan, Attorney, Social, DA Locations: New York City, New York, Daniels

☆ Tracing the Trail of Hush-Money Deals That Led to Trump’s Prosecution
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Michael Rothfeld | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Donald J. Trump and two confidants hatched a plan in August 2015 to boost his upstart presidential campaign, prosecutors say. They carried it out, and Mr. Trump won the election. Nearly nine years later, Mr. Trump will face the same men, Michael Cohen and David Pecker. Mr. Trump is charged in a 34-count indictment with falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 hush-money payment to a former porn star in order to influence the 2016 election. Mr. Cohen paid the woman, Stormy Daniels, less than two weeks before the election to keep silent about her claim that she had sex with Mr. Trump a decade before.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Michael Cohen, David Pecker, won’t, Trump’s, Cohen, Stormy Daniels Organizations: Trump Locations: Lower Manhattan

☆ Opening statements to show the stark personal and political stakes of Trump’s first criminal trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

But on Monday, his diminished reality as a criminal defendant will become clear in humbling fashion during opening statements in his first criminal trial. The process, known as a Sandoval hearing, offered the ex-president a glimpse of personal and unflattering revelations that the trial could dredge up. The political case against the prosecutions was laid out by South Dakota Gov. But Noem rehearsed a political argument that Trump and his associates will be seeking to land as the trial goes ahead. But the deeply consequential political and personal stakes for the former president will become even clearer when the first trial begins for real on Monday.

Persons: Donald Trump, he’s, Trump, Joe Biden, –, victimhood, He’s, “, ” Trump, president’s, haggled, Sandoval, Stacey Schneider, Jean Carroll, ” Schneider, it’s, Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen, David Pecker, Pecker, Joshua Steinglass, ”, Juan Merchan, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Bragg, Biden, There’s, Kristi Noem, ” Noem, CNN’s Dana, Noem, Cohen Organizations: CNN, White, Republican, Trump, American Media Inc, National Enquirer, Prosecutors, Manhattan, Attorney, Democratic, Mar, South Dakota Gov, New York Times Locations: Manhattan, North Carolina, New York, United States, “ State, Siena, Dakota

☆ Opinion: Trump trial isn’t a hush money case, but an election interference one
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Opinion Norman Eisen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

We should call it an “election interference” trial going forward. Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass skillfully advanced the election interference theory by structuring his evidentiary points in chronological order within that frame. Trump’s alleged 2020 attempt to overthrow our government distorts perceptions of how serious the charges related to the 2016 election are. How can we call this an election interference trial, they ask, if the election was already over when the 34 alleged document falsification crimes occurred? It is an election interference one and we should say so.

Persons: Norman Eisen, “, Donald Trump, Juan Merchan, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Joshua Steinglass, Steinglass, Michael Cohen, David Pecker, Daniels, Cohen, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Jack Smith, Fani Willis, Trump’s, Bragg Organizations: CNN, Trump, ”, American Media, National Enquirer, DA, Attorney, Fulton, Twitter Locations: Georgia, Fulton County, Manhattan

☆ Key players in Trump’s hush money trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Kaanita Iyer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Donald Trump’s criminal New York hush money trial begins Monday, more than a year after the former president was indicted in the case. Stormy DanielsAdult-film star Stephanie Clifford, better known as Stormy Daniels, received a $130,000 payment just days before the 2016 presidential election. Michael CohenThe $130,000 payment to Daniels was made by Cohen, then Trump’s personal attorney, who landed in federal prison over that transaction for breaking campaign finance laws. Cohen, now a critical witness, has said that Trump directed him to make the payment to Daniels. Judge Juan MerchanNew York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan, who is known for maintaining control of his courtroom even when his cases draw considerable attention, will preside over this case.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Donald Trump, Trump, ” Trump, Stephanie Clifford, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, Michael Cohen, Cohen, he’s, David Pecker, Pecker, Karen McDougal, Hope Hicks, Hicks, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Alvin Bragg, Bragg, Juan Merchan, Steve, Trump’s, Allen Weisselberg, Merchan, Sydney Kashiwagi, CNN’s Devan Cole, Kara Scannell, Lauren del Valle, Jeremy Herb, Marshall Cohen, Kaitlan Collins Organizations: CNN, Prosecutors, Trump, American Media Inc, National Inquirer, AMI, Manhattan, Attorney, Juan Merchan New, Trump Organization, Democratic Locations: York, Manhattan

☆ What prosecutors have to prove in the Trump hush money trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Kara Scannell | Lauren Del Valle | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Prosecutors allege Trump falsified business records to hide the reimbursement of hush money payments that were made to influence the election outcome. And it may feature at least one audio recording of Trump and Cohen allegedly discussing a catch and kill deal. Necheles represented Trump’s business at its tax fraud trial in 2022. It was the third “catch and kill” deal to come after a key meeting at Trump Tower in August 2015 between Trump, Cohen and Pecker. On October 27, 2016, Cohen wired the money to Daniels and 12 days later Trump won the election.

Persons: Donald Trump, coverup, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Donald Trump's, Kena Betancur, Juan Merchan, Michael Cohen, David Pecker, ”, Hope Hicks, Cohen, they’ve, Daniels, Todd Blanche, Emil Bove, Susan Necheles, Necheles, Bradley Smith, Alan Garten, Merchan, Pecker, Karen McDougal, Allen Weisselberg Organizations: CNN, Prosecutors, Manhattan, Attorney, Trump, National Enquirer, Commission, Trump Organization, Trump Tower, American Media Locations: Manhattan, New York City, Kena, New York, Lake Tahoe

☆ Donald Trump hush money trial, explained
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Former President Donald Trump is set to go on trial this month in Manhattan for his alleged role in a hush money scheme to silence his alleged mistresses before the 2016 election. Here’s what to know to get up to speed on this first criminal trial:What’s the general outline of the hush money case? The judge overseeing the hush money case, Juan Merchan, expanded a gag order on Trump after the former president attacked Merchan’s daughter on social media. And the witness list for this hush money case includes former Trump aides such as Hope Hicks. So that’s why this New York case about hush money paid eight years ago is the one that’s going to trial first.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Karen McDougal, David Pecker, Stephanie Clifford, Stormy Daniels, Trump’s, Michael Cohen, Cohen, Daniels, McDougal, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Juan Merchan, Merchan’s, Michael Avenatti, Hope Hicks Organizations: CNN, White House, Trump, National, American Media Inc, AMI, Street, McDougal, Federal, Commission, Manhattan, Attorney, Beverly, Hotel, Manhattan DA, New, Republican Party, Fulton County DA Locations: Manhattan, Georgia, New York, Lake Tahoe, Fulton County , Georgia, Miami, York

☆ Trump is about to face trial on criminal hush money charges. Here's what to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks from the hallway outside a courtroom where he is attending a hearing in his criminal case on charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star, in New York City on March 25, 2024. Michael Cohen, former attorney for Donald Trump, arrives to the New York Courthouse on March 13, 2023. In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance charges related to hush money payments made to two women before the 2016 election. Trump has voluntarily attended numerous hearings in the hush money case and his other criminal cases, generating waves of mainstream media attention that his regular campaign events no longer muster. Former U.S. President Donald Trump sits with his lawyer Susan Necheles in the courtroom at a hearing in his criminal case on charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star, in New York City on March 25, 2024.

Persons: Donald Trump, Brendan Mcdermid, Reuters Donald Trump, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Jane Rosenberg, Reuters Trump, Michael Cohen, Eduardo Munoz, Trump's, Cohen, Daniels, Bragg, Karen McDougal, David Pecker, Juan Merchan, Will Trump, Eric Trump, Angela Weiss, Judge Merchan, —, Norm Eisen, Eisen, Reuters Cohen, McDougal, Bradley Smith, Susan Necheles, Reuters Trump's Organizations: U.S, Reuters, Manhattan, Attorney, New, DA, Reuters Central, Trump, Trump Organization, National Enquirer, American Media Inc, Former U.S, Manhattan Criminal, Eric Trump Via Reuters, Trump Media & Technology Group, Manhattan Federal, AFP, Getty, Democrats, Court, NBC, Federal, Commission Locations: New York City, New York, Manhattan, Lago, Palm Beach , Florida

☆ Trial shocker: Jurors can hear about a 2015 Trump Tower meeting that prosecutors say was a hush-money huddle hosted by Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewIn a blow to former President Donald Trump's prospects in his upcoming Manhattan felony trial, the judge ruled Monday that jurors can hear about a Trump Tower meeting where prosecutors say Trump was physically present as hush money was discussed. News of the August 2015 meeting and Trump's involvement was first revealed in November 2018 by The Wall Street Journal. The Trump Tower meeting is key to understanding that allegation, Merchan wrote. Prosecutors allege the 2015 Trump Tower meeting involved discussions of how the supermarket tabloid could publish flattering stories about Trump and negative stories about his opponents, the judge wrote. Advertisement"The Court grants the People's motion with respect to the introduction of evidence surrounding the Trump Tower Meeting," he wrote.

Persons: —, Donald Trump's, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Karen McDougal —, Michael Cohen, Daniels, McDougal, Cohen, David Pecker, Juan Merchan, Merchan, Pecker Organizations: Service, Trump, Wall Street, Business, CNN, American Media Inc, National Enquirer, Prosecutors, AMI Locations: Manhattan

The vast majority — nearly $40 million — went to law firms working on his personal legal problems. But significant portions of their donations went to law firms defending Trump in civil cases involving his real-estate empire and its top executives, including Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump. Only about $861,000 was spent on law firms working exclusively on political issues. Where there were gaps, we contacted law firms and individual lawyers who received money from the PACs. In 2021 and 2022 combined, Trump spent $16 million on legal fees through the Save America PAC.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, —, MAGA, Trump's, Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump, Stormy Daniels, Jean Carroll, Robert, Clifford S, Michael Cohen, — Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders, Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel, Frederick —, Madaio, Alina Habba, Michael Madaio, Hillary Clinton, James Comey, Mary Trump, general's, Carroll, Trump —, Joe Tacopina, Chad Seigel, Christopher Kise, Jesus M, Suarez, Eli Bartov, Bryan Woolston, Silverman Thompson Slutkin, White, Evan Corcoran, Todd Blanche, Cadwalader, Taft, Blanche, Attorney Alvin Bragg's, Daniels, Susan Necheles, John Lauro, who's, Steven H, Drew Findling, Jennifer Little, Jesse R, it's, Jim, John Rowley, Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, Allen Weisselberg, Weisselberg, perjured, ArentFox Schiff, Jeff McConney, Stanley Woodward, Stanley Brand, Carlos de Oliveira, John S, Irving of, Boris Epshteyn, Kenneth Chesebro, Troutman Pepper, Ivanka, Newsmax, Harmeet, Dhillon, Bradley T, Morvillo Abramowitz, David Pecker, Elkan Abramowitz, Greenberg Traurig, Ballard Spahr, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Corey Lewandowski, Robert Mueller's, Jones, Andrew Kelly, It's, Forbes, defaming Carroll, he's Organizations: Service, Trump, Save America PAC, Make, Trump Organization, Politico, Reuters, New, Associates, Democratic National Committee, The New York Times, Times, Continental LLP, Inc, AP, Attorney, Capitol, Law, Taft, Brand Woodward Law, Irving of Earth & Water Law, Ivanka Trump, Republican National Committee, Save, MAGA, Curve Solutions, National Enquirer, Republican, MAGA PAC, Bloomberg Locations: New York, Georgia, Carroll, Manhattan, Florida, York, Washington, DC, Wickersham, Attorney Alvin Bragg's Manhattan, Fulton County , Georgia, codefendants, MAGAworld, Robert Mueller's Russia

Prosecutor Chris Conroy said: "The defendant Donald J. Trump falsified New York business records in order to conceal an illegal conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the 2016 presidential election and other violations of election laws." SOCIAL MEDIA POSTSProsecutors during the arraignment said Trump made a series of social media posts, including one threatening "death and destruction" if he was charged. "They can't beat us at the ballot box so they try to beat us through the law," Trump said. The false records included invoices from Cohen, entries in a ledger for Trump maintained by the Trump Organization, and check stubs, according to the indictment. "Under New York state law, it is a felony to falsify business records with intent to defraud and intent to conceal another crime.

☆ Trump faces more legal threats beyond a hush money case. Here's the status of those probes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Cohen has since become a vocal critic of his former boss and testified before the grand jury hearing evidence in Bragg's probe. The grand jury was impaneled in January 2022 to hear evidence in Fulton County DA Willis' probe. Portions of that final report, which were released in February, show the grand jury determined that at least one witness may have lied under oath. New York civil caseTrump is also embroiled in a state-level civil fraud case filed by James, the New York attorney general. (L-R) Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump attend the ground breaking of the Trump International Hotel at the Old Post Office Building in Washington July 23, 2014.

☆ Explainer: Who is Karen McDougal, the Playboy model in the Trump case?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, April 4 (Reuters) - The criminal case against former President Donald Trump, unveiled on Tuesday, rests not just on his high-profile alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels but also on a separate liaison with Playboy model Karen McDougal. A 52-year-old former model and actress from Indiana, McDougal was a Playboy magazine Playmate of the Year in the late 1990s. They said Trump, his lawyer Michael Cohen and AMI former chief executive David Pecker, a longtime friend of Trump, agreed that Trump would reimburse AMI. McDougal later sued AMI and reached an agreement that allowed her to discuss her relationship with Trump. ONE OF TWOThe transaction is one of two involving alleged affairs that are at the heart of the criminal case against Trump.

☆ Manhattan DA sheds new light on National Enquirer publisher's efforts to boost Trump 2016 campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg unveiled new details Tuesday about the role the National Enquirer's then-publisher played in boosting former President Donald Trump's winning 2016 campaign. The Trump, AMI and Pecker alliance continued through the 2016 election and the former president's inauguration, according to Bragg's investigation. Outside of the McDougal payment, the tabloid suppressed or published various stories related to Trump or his opponents during the election. The Manhattan DA revealed new examples of how the relationship worked among Pecker, AMI and Trump. AMI purchased the information from the Doorman without fully investigating his claims, but the AMI CEO directed that the deal take place because of his agreement with the Defendant [Trump] and Lawyer A [Cohen]."

☆ Trump's indictment doesn't just depend on Michael Cohen, involves more than one paid-off woman, and allegedly happened when he was president
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Madison Hall | John L. Dorman | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

State attorneys and former prosecutors worried that Trump's indictment would solely revolve around Michael Cohen as a witness. But Trump's indictment depends on more than Cohen — the NY DA alleges Trump paid off another woman, too. Mark Bederow, a former prosecutor, previously told Insider that resting an indictment of this caliber solely on Cohen would be disastrous. "You wouldn't rely on Michael Cohen to tell you the time of day unless you corroborated it with a clock. Like Daniels, prosecutors allege that Trump, Pecker, and Cohen teamed up to silence former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal in June 2016.

☆ Factbox: Details from New York prosecutor's Trump hush-money indictment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Daniels said she and Trump had a sexual encounter in 2006, the year after he married Melania Knauss, his third wife. Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal campaign-finance charges related to the payments and said he acted at Trump's direction. Pecker made the payment after discussing it with Cohen and Trump, according to the charges, with the understanding that Trump would pay him back. Trump and Cohen discussed repayment in a conversation captured in an audio recording in September 2016 and made plans to do so. Around that time, Pecker connected Cohen with a lawyer for Daniels, who said she had an affair with Trump as well.

☆ Read the indictment against Donald Trump, details of payments to porn star, Playboy model
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

watch nowFormer President Donald Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with a scheme that directed hush money payments to two women before the 2016 presidential election. The 16-page indictment against Trump was unsealed Tuesday as he became the first former U.S. president ever to be arraigned on criminal charges. Follow CNBC.com's live coverage of former President Donald Trump's surrender and arraignment at the Manhattan criminal courthouse. Falsifying business records normally is a misdemeanor but can become a felony if done to cover up another crime. The checks first were issued by the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, while later ones came from Trump's bank account, prosecutors said.

☆ New York prosecutors are investigating Trump's hush-money payment to the ex-Playboy model Karen McDougal, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Sonam Sheth | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

NY prosecutors are looking into Trump's hush-money payment to Karen McDougal, WSJ reported. Prosecutors have been investigating if Trump broke the law when Michael Cohen paid off Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election. Investigators have long been probing a $130,000 hush-money payment to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels. The Manhattan grand jury was empaneled in January, but activity related to the Trump investigation appears to have slowed in the past two weeks. Cohen — thought to be one of the final prosecutor witnesses — finished his grand jury testimony on March 15.

Trump previously said he would continue campaigning for the Republican Party's nomination if charged with a crime. Shortly after, Trump appealed to supporters to provide money for a legal defense. Trump will have to travel to Manhattan for fingerprinting and other processing at that point. The Manhattan investigation is one of several legal challenges facing Trump, and the charges could hurt his presidential comeback attempt. No former or sitting U.S. president has ever faced criminal charges.

A Manhattan grand jury has voted to indict Donald Trump on felony charges. In a statement, Trump characterized the criminal charges from a grand jury as a political attack. The indictment's specific contents have not yet been made public, even to the defense team, as is common in state criminal cases. The district attorney's office subsequently brought David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, to testify for a second time in front of the grand jury. That post was quickly taken down; Trump attorney Joe Tacopina called it "ill-advised" and said "one of his social media people" put it up.

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