NEW YORK — (NEW YORK) -- A hush money payment made to an adult film actress nearly seven years ago is at the center of a criminal probe that could potentially result in criminal charges filed against a former U.S. president.
Former President Donald Trump is currently under investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office as part of a probe into a payment made to porn actress Stormy Daniels in the final days of the 2016 presidential race.The hush money probe had languished even as other investigations into Trump moved forward -- until Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg convened a grand jury to revive the probe at the start of this year, according to sources.
When Trump reimbursed Cohen for the payment, his company logged the payments as a"monthly retainer" for Cohen's legal services, according to Trump and court documents from Cohen's subsequent plea deal. Prosecutors are considering whether Trump should be charged with falsifying business records, sources say.
But just weeks before Cohen delivered the payment to Daniels, the now-former attorney worked with the publisher of the National Enquirer, longtime Trump ally David Pecker, to pay another woman who claimed she'd had an affair with Trump, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York.
"We are pleased that the investigation surrounding these ridiculous campaign finance allegations is now closed," Jay Sekulow said in a statement in 2019."We have maintained from the outset that the President never engaged in any campaign finance violation. From the Court's opinion: 'the Government's investigation into those violations has concluded ... another case is closed.
"There was absolutely no false record," Trump attorney Joe Tacopina told George Stephanopoulos."To my knowledge there was no false records."
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Trump attorney: Online remarks against Manhattan DA posted by Trump’s ‘social media people’Trump attorney Joe Tacopina said the former president’s online posts against the Manhattan district attorney investigating him for potential campaign financial crimes were “ill-advised” but suggested they were not posted by Donald Trump himself.
Read more »
PolitiFact - Timeline: What Donald Trump has said about Stormy Daniels and $130,000 paymentDonald Trump has repeatedly denied an affair with Stormy Daniels and attacked his former lawyer Michael Cohen. Trump has also attacked Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. We trace his explanations in a timeline.
Read more »
The Other Woman in the Trump-Stormy Daniels Saga Tells AllAdult actress Alana Evans was invited to join Stormy Daniels and Trump in his extramarital tryst back in 2006. Her life was never the same
Read more »
Trump suggests DA 'dropped' Stormy caseFormer President Trump, who said last week he would be arrested in a probe into alleged hush money he paid to Stormy Daniels, now suggests the case might be dropped by Manhattan's district attorney.
Read more »
Trump suggests DA 'dropped' Stormy Daniels case after Waco rallyFormer President Trump now suggests the case might be dropped by Manhattan's district attorney. 'It's a fake case. Some fake cases, they have absolutely nothing.'
Read more »
New York State bar should probe Bragg over Trump's 'Stormy' case: Civil rights attorneyNew York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg tarnished the role of prosecutor over the Trump case, civil rights attorney Leo Terrell told 'Life, Liberty & Levin.'
Read more »