Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina says that former President Trump’s actions relating to a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels were “not a crime,' in an interview on MSNBC.
"The payments were made to a lawyer, not to Stormy Daniels. The payments were made to Donald Trump’s lawyer, which would be considered legal fees," he said.
"His lawyer classified them as legal services. His lawyer sent him an invoice for legal services. His lawyer told him they would be properly classified as legal services. He relied on his lawyer," Tacopina added."This was how Michael Cohen structured this." He also said the money wasn't paid out in an effort to influence the election and referred to the amount paid to Daniels as"a nuisance settlement."Asked why then-President Trump later denied knowing anything about the payment, Tacopina said his client was trying to honor the no-disclosure agreement Daniels had signed.
"If he acknowledged that, he would be violating the confidential settlement. So, is it the truth? Of course it’s not the truth. Was he supposed to tell the truth? He would be in violation of the agreement if he told the truth. So, by him doing that, by him doing that, he was abiding by not only his rights, but Stormy Daniels’ rights," Tacopina said.
The DA's investigation appears to be nearing an end — prosecutors last week invited Trump to testify before the grand jury, which is typically an indicator in New York state criminal cases that an investigation is about to wrap up. Trump"I still hold out hope that they’re not going to do this, because I think this will be an enormous stain on the legacy of that district attorney," he said, adding charges would help his client's 2024 presidential bid.
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