Bill Clinton. Monica Lewinsky. Jennifer Flowers. All the others whose names I can’t recall at the moment because they didn’t matter then and they don’t matter now. They were all paid off. This subject was not important to Bill’s presidency then as it is not important to Trump’s presidency now.
6
What is known
1. Trump is a pathological liar.
2. Clifford would not be his first act of adultery.
2
Regarding Michael Cohen reimbursement by Trump
Is there a legal difference if Trump paid personally, or if the funds came from Trump Organization? If TO, is this why SDNY is so interested, and Trumps kids are so worried because they authorized the cheques?
The difference between Trump and a real "stable genius" is that true geniuses are fully aware that they don't know everything, in fact, not much of what can be known. So a real genius actually consults competent legal advice before shooting off his mouth about what is or is not legal for campaign contributions. In the absence of active legal advice, one keeps one's mouth SHUT.
2
If Trump is willing to pay these women hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep quiet, how much would he pay/give Putin for silence of embarrassing, shameful, politically humiliating and damaging evidence?
5
America! @Mitch
1
Ms. Daniels is sleazy, Mr. Cohen is sleazier and Trump is sleaziest. There, end of this tabloid story.
Now, let's move on to more important dealings. Like the theft of our treasury, the decimation of Democracy and the destruction of our environment. Shall we?
7
So glad Trump has finally cleared up all those false assertions made before. It's like getting blood out of a stone; denials, lies, push backs, and deviations.
1
It is worth mentioning that paying for sex, either before it actually transpires or after, should be a considered a private matter between consenting adults. What does it matter whether or not it's treated like a margin call?
3
Pecker owns the National Enquirer and inTouch magazines. And he was accepting money to sway public opinion of a political candidate. He never disclosed this in his taxes and the amount paid was way over the maximum $2700 allowed. That alone, violates campaign finance laws.
Then, come to find out, Cohen committed bank and tax fraud to pay it, under the direction of Trump.
Corporations are prohibited from making contributions directly to presidential candidates, including donations that are coordinated with candidates or their committees and representatives, and candidates are prohibited from accepting corporate contributions.
And then they all lied about it.
Why isn't there outrage from Congress? If Hillary did this, there would be impeachment articles written already.
5
Coveting, adultery and bearing false witness are on the Top Ten list of things Christians aren't allowed to do. Now what was the name of that Pope who forgave unrepenting rich people their sins and got Martin Luther so mad that he left the Church and started a new religion?
1
Stormy and McDougal will not bring Trump down.
But his Tax Returns......
Thank you for coming in and offering to cooperate, Mr. Weisselberg.
7
It's not just Trump who's the bad guy.
It's a large segment of American voters.
You lapped it up. You ought to be charged with pushing pornography.
2
Many men lie about sex. Has this got something to do with Russsia or not?
5
Yes... he’s lying about that too.
5
What we know is simple, this was the collusion that Trump never talks about between him and Cohen to keep important information from the public that might have effected the outcome of the election.
I hope Mueller keeps on digging deeper and deeper.
7
Really? We all knew this before the election where were you? Own money he can pay off for a non disclosure agreement in which Daniels is in violation of. You should be more concerned with the taxpayers slush funds the democrats set up to payoff women they slept with.
Stormy Daniels' NDA levies a penalty of $1 million per incident if Stormy violates the agreement. She has spoken publicly many times. Now that Michael Cohen has pled guilty, her lawsuits (invalidate the NDA and defamation) should go forward.
Her lawyer Michael Avenatti wants to depose Trump under oath. Supreme Court ruled that a sitting president can be deposed in a civil suit. (Jones v. Clinton) So Avenatti is on firm legal ground to demand that Trump sit for a deposition. Trump's lawyers may try to buy Stormy's silence again.....
12
Her 15 minutes were up long ago. Nobody cares.
5
Trump is the latest of three presidents (including Kennedy and Clinton) from three different eras who all found opportunities to indulge themselves in extramarital affairs or partake of momentary acts of licentiousness and shrug it off with casual indifference while many who of their fellow citizens have and continue to say, "so what?"
So what?!?
Is it too much to ask that there is never again a sitting president who cannot remain faithful to his/her spouse? This is a person residing in the highest position in the nation and these acts of casual indiscretion speak more of a common oaf deprived of the ability to curb their basest impulses.
8
FDR also had a lover while in the White House. Lucy Mercer Rutherford.
3
The one thing the NYT doesn't seem to know is how few really care about this.
7
The pre-presoident had sex outside his marriage. No big deal. The now president lied about hush payments. That was a small whopper compared to all the other lies he has told.
So far, the sex and the hush payments have not resulted in evidence of crime: he has survived worse.
The only thing that really counts is whether he violated federal campaign contribution law. This is the only salient point that will help get rid of this odious creature from politics.
The rest is tabloid fluff.
6
Trump doesn't strike me as the kind of man who would care about what his wife thinks or what anyone thinks for that matter, nor does he strike me as the kind of man who could be easily shaken down, unless the stakes were extremely high, such as a presidential campaign . Do it's more likely given the time frame he paid her off to to help his campaign.
Now the question is the legality. I should think the New York attorney general's office for the southern district are smart enough not from make stuff up in terms of what is legal and what is not. So the debate is on intent and it does not look good for Trump.
5
Master of the "Art of the Deal," but he paid $130K for sex. I'm willing to bet Client #9 got a better deal than that.
9
Poor Donald. He looks like he's lost all his closest friends.
Well Donny, just look in the mirror and repeat, I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and doggone it, people like me.
3
Re: "MyOwnWoman", how do you feel about former President Bill Clinton...and "his" band of merry women?
Just because Trump acted "out of line", there was no crime involved. Trump can pay the parking lot attendant $10,000 if he wishes. That's not a crime.
I feel bad for the news media that "lost" the election of Hillary Clinton and can't get over it.
6
@Navyeod - You might want to do some reading about campaign finance laws.
13
Stormy should have known that when you lie with a dog, you get fleas. It's amusing to watch lowlifes fighting each other for $. Neither is acting on principle or for redemption; just filthy lucre or political survival; nothing redeeming about any of it. The most disturbing fact is that 60 million voted for Trump despite his foul words (on tape) and all the many womens' claims Trump assaulted them in some sexual manner.
5
Even though he might not be impeached over this I hope Trump foes milk this for all its worth. The president has proven himself to be a vile, selfish person who doesn’t understand the mechanics of the Constitution or democracy. He acts like Mussolini and idolizes dictators. He needs to go down. If and when he does I will watch the recording of his resignation or impeachment every day.
10
Why are you using a photo that looks like she’s in handcuffs on a perp walk? She’s not the one who should be being sentenced here.
4
Why not use one of her publicity photos?
6
Love to see a strong woman standing up to Donald J. Trump. Trump thinks his money and power can be used to silence women. Ms. Clifford will school Trump.
3
@John McLaughlin I think she already “schooled” Trump.
1
she is going to be left with nothing unlike Ivana and Marla. she is already being being abandoned by her lawyer who is moving onto trying to become wealthy and powerful. She is left trying to earn a living at "gentleman's" clubs and that won't last much longer as she gets older. Even if Trump gets impeached, he still has to resign or be removed from office. I feel bad for her. She'll be a soon forgotten footnote. The smartest women build a career on intelligence and not their looks or marrying for money.
5
@Greg Jones - Marrying for money? Like Melania?
11
@DR
"When you marry for money, you earn every penny."
1
For all those seeking an understanding of the mental mechanism that allows Republicans to vote for and support an amoral and corrupt and criminal President Trump, I offer this explanation: party spirit.
The root cause is emotional, not intellectual. The spirit of party can overrule intellect. No one calls it the spirit of party these days. They call it "winning", but the feeling is the same. They feel good as group. They feel empowered together. They feel justified at at beating the other side. They love the feeling of winning. There is no intellectual or factual or evidenciary explanation for the support that millions of Americans afford the President; it's all about feeling team solidarity. They might as well be rooting for a sports team. Their fervor and their energy come from the same emotional source.
Most importantly, there can be no reasoned argument to alter these people's feelings. They hated it when the man Trump called "Kenyan" became President, for they *felt* he could not be on their team. Now they love their team captain without question. He is theirs; they feel it in their bones. Trump was correct when he said he could shoot someone (on the other team) in Times Square and not lose his support. Trump has mastered the art of building team spirit, and whether you call it spirit of party, as did George Washington, or any other name, it remains the greatest danger the country faces.
5
Now that that my worst suspicions about the National Enquirer are confirmed, is it too much to hope that this will diminish its influence on the general public?
4
I am struck by similar themes of sex cover-ups, and waffling answers by another man whose transgressions are on the same front page --Pope Francis. Money and power corrupts, not only in the USA.
3
Whether the money came from the campaign, or personally from Mr. Trump (his money according to the Supreme Court is protected First Amendment speech giving all too real meaning to "putting your money where your mouth is" and effectively silencing the huddled masses below the roar of the bought and paid for "catch and kill" fake new-if there ever was fake news, is it not Mr. Pecker's rag?) it is a crime under the campaign financing law not to report the payment. If the payment is in furtherance of the campaign, and it came from the "federal candidate" it is financing for the campaign and must be reported. Does Mr. Trump believe that if you had the money to pay $100,000 to enough Americans to win a majority of the population's vote that he would not be required to report that he bought the Presidency? Time is not on Mr. Trump's side...
5
Congress and the Justce Dept. need to seriously sit down and draft laws to clarify and correct the fallacy that "a sitting President can't be indicted." This is a fundamental question for the Nation. A felon gets elected to office and can be allowed to inflict untold damage on a country and undo decades of policies make court appointments that will force policies and jurisprudence on the nation's citizenry from essentally a personage who is without any standard of lawfulness himself and who is taking advantage of his illegitimate position to influence an entire nation and world?
This is an abomination and the ultimate expression of unchecked corruption.
12
I’m no fan of Trump, but I don’t care that he paid off these women with his own money. I will be interested in what the Mueller report ultimately reveals.
6
Doesn’t sound like he paid them off with his own money, though.
1
Get out and vote, and assist others to get out and vote.
No excuses this time around.
12
May I respectfully request that we begin using more respectful language towards Ms. Clifford? For example, using her real name (not her stage name) in headlines, and calling her an "adult film performer," not a "porn start" (which has an implied moralizing/sensationalist tone).
7
A commenter cites the "growing evidence and the list of co-conspirators." Example? I'm not aware of any evidence or any conspiracy, much less that it's "growing."
7
@MyThreeCents
That's what wishful thinking does.
5
Maybe I should be more upset that Trump paid off, with his own money, two women with whom he had affairs, but somehow I'm not. Obviously it didn't work (i.e. Melania found out), but Trump had an obvious incentive to cover up those affairs wholly apart from his run for President, and he reportedly made those payments with his own money.
Let's face it: If Hillary Clinton couldn't beat Donald Trump despite the "Access Hollywood" tape having been leaked 3 weeks before the election, then Hillary Clinton just couldn't beat Donald Trump. Additional leaks of Trump's pay-offs to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal might well have tipped the scales, but the Access Hollywood tape, all by itself, should have been enough. I'd had no plan to vote for Trump anyway, but the Access Hollywood tape would have changed my mind if I'd been planning to.
5
@MyThreeCents - Hillary Clinton got more votes than Trump. He's only in office because of the Electoral College.
12
@DR Hillary Clinton knew about the Electoral College before the election. That system has been in place for over 200 years. It's written into the US Constitution, which HRC knew.
In the 2000 election, Gore got more popular votes but Bush won on electoral votes. During the summer of 2000, however, it looked like it might be the other way around, and Bush's people complained about the Electoral College system. I recall, very clearly, that the response of the NYT, Gore's people, and pretty much everyone else, was "Suck it up. The Electoral College has been in place for over 200 years. We've never done it any other way."
You mean that thing that the C
Constitution establishes as determining who is the president of the United States? How outrageous!
3
As others have pointed out, the key immunity grant is the one to Heiselberg, the long-time internal accountant at the Trump Organization. He's reportedly been there since the Fred Trump days.
Mueller reported being sorely disappointed in what earlier "flippees" have told him (see, for example, Mueller's 8/17/18 sentencing memo to the court on George Papadopoulos, in which Mueller insisted Papadopoulos hadn't told Mueller anything that Mueller didn't already know), and it's been a long time since Mueller "flipped" various important witnesses (Michael Flynn, for example). So far, Trump hasn't been accused of any wrongdoing by Mueller, but Heiselberg presumably knows if there are any skeletons in Trump's closet.
Presumably Mueller will soon be asking -- or already has asked -- Heiselberg about any such skeletons, and we too will hear about them soon enough if they exist. I'll hesitate to judge Trump based on his pre-election conduct, but I'd like to know about it since some misconduct (e.g. tax evasion, or shooting someone on Fifth Avenue) would "disqualify" Trump from staying as President regardless of when it happened.
So far, no evidence of Trump wrongdoing, from "flippees" or others, but that could change. Presumably Heiselberg will know, and tell Mueller, of any wrongdoing by the Trump Organization.
1
It has been reported that the immunity is very limited in scope so no fishing expedition for other dirt.
1
I suppose it would be a bigger deal for me if Trump had pulled a Bill Clinton, having sex with a woman in the White House after he was elected President. Prior to that he was a private citizen and has no one else to answer to than his wife and his God unless, of course, he paid her off with campaign money. Outside of that to keep churning up what is already known in order to smear the President is just shy of muckraking.
8
@Kurt Pickard - Fascinating. So character, honesty, obeying the law don't count for you until someone is in office?
14
@DR
It hasn't stopped us from electing other Presidents of shady moral character, so why should it be an issue now?
@DR It's a "slippery slope" to look back all the way to a Presidential candidate's birth for wrongdoing (and that's inevitably what will happen, once we start looking at pre-election misconduct, unless we set some arbitrary "look-back" deadline). A candidate deserves his or her privacy, but the American people deserve to know about any serious transgressions, since I agree with you that some misconduct -- whenever it occurred -- is sufficiently serious that the candidate should be disqualified (e.g. tax evasion, or murder).
So if Heiselberg (for example) can tell Mueller about Trump Organization misconduct, however "old" it may be, I'd like to hear about it.
People assume that "these people" know right from wrong. But they need to think about these acts not as illegal, immortal, unethical or sleazy...but, through the perpetrators eyes, as in, "what can I get away with?". There is no "right or wrong"...Money and influence buys the outcome you want. Trump, Cohen, Pecker et al., had money, from whatever source, to purchase the outcome they wanted. This is how they conduct business at all levels. From buying real estate or developing property to burying stories that are potentially embarrassing. If and when the American tax paying public figures this out Trump and his ilk will be kicked out....it isn't going to get miraculously better. This is it.
1
And thats the President you have. Are you going to do do anything about it? Does this say anything about your country?
15
Yawn-Trump supporter
Impeach-Avid Trump opponents
Let the chips fall where they may and VOTE-the rest of us.
3
DJT is a rat in a maze of his own making. I mean splice anyone else's name for his and you have instant guilt. Did I mention he is a rat.
4
"At that point, she was a porn star with more than 60 credits to her name in movies like “Slave to Love” and “The Witches of Breastwick.”"
That would explain "covfefe"'s obsession with WITCH HUNT!s. To him, the Textbook Generic night was the Most Tremendous Ever, Believe Me, and it got him hooked on her Stormy magic.
He's with Separate Room Melanie, but he really still wants that witch in his life.
4
If Trump has attained the office of President illegitimately / illegally how then is it possible that he is "considered" to be the President?
And how can he be subject/privileged to any of the protections or powers of the Presidency?
Including but not limited to:
A sitting President can not be indicted (as I understand this, it is not a Constitutional Law, but a policy/referendum issued by the Justice Dept. or some other body).
If he is not the President and indeed ** has never ACTUALLY been the President** because his position was attained illegally: How Pence ever become president? How can any of the cabinet, judicial appointments (both the Supreme Court and Lower Courts) Trump has made be permitted to stand?
How can any of the policy changes Trump has made: on things like nuclear proliferation, the environment, immigration etc. be allowed to stand?
How is it possible that he can even be considered IMPEACHABLE? If, illegitimately/legally, he is NOT the President?
Can some legal - constitutional and criminal experts to weigh-in on this simple point?
If growing evidence and the list of co-conspirators point to the fact that Trump is actually ** illegitimately occupying in the office of President** WHY and HOW can he be permitted to enjoy its power and benefits?
Was there a "miselection"?
2
If Trump had openly bragged about his affairs at his campaign rallies, most of his deep core supporters would have screamed with delight. At the same time, he would have lost votes among the undecided who, seeing the earlier reports confirmed, would have concluded that he was not a serious man and should not be considered for the presidency.
This is a lesson from long ago, Watergate. It was not the act itself, it was the cover-up that brought Nixon down. Of course, Trump was too busy in those days, and into the '80s and '90s, to pay attention to national politics. He was chasing women around Manhattan and around the world, hanging out at the sex and drug din of Studio 54 and making deals to put up towers with his name on them.
The campaign finance laws are too complex and offer many opportunities for candidates and their staffs to make mistakes, but, hey, they are laws and people running for office are expected to do their dead level best of follow them. Trump seems to have acted in this regard the way he has treated the law all of his adult life, as an opportunity, a challenge to do whatever he wanted with impunity.
6
Can you tell me who actually is paying for all of Donald Trump's personal lawyers; him or us taxpayers?
And is Trump's paycheck being docked the hours he's consulting with his lawyers or flying off on Air Force One giving campaign speeches to his desciples?
What is all Trump's debauchery costing the country?
25
There's a moment in the tape where Cohen tips that his taping the conversation and Trump was not savvy enough to pick up on it. When Cohen says "Allen" he pauses for an instant and then drops in his surname, Weisselberg. Trump knows who Allen is, his long time CFO, Cohen put that in there for the benift of the recording. Whether Cohen and Weisselberg were were working together or Cohen made recordings all the time, they've never learned that it's not the act that gets you in trouble, it's the coverup. Why anyone want these know-nothings in control of our futures is beyond me. Strictly criminal.
20
This is probabaly one of the clumsiest plans ever to defile a president. I saw it with Reagan and both bushes . This is just more of the typical playbook he regular man is sick of. He will spin this all and win again because of it.
5
[[This is probabaly one of the clumsiest plans ever to defile a president. I saw it with Reagan and both bushes.]]
Slept through the last presidency, did you?
11
I agree that "covfefe" is doing a horrible job at defiling President Obama, but the latter doesn't need to spin anything.
He already won, twice, the votes of the regular man.
3
@Bill Lombard
So true. They never learn.
1
Whatever else comes of all this, republicans can never, ever again pretend to be:
The party of family values,
The party of abstinence,
The party of moral conservatism,
The party of Christian traditional marriage & fidelity.
Republicans are now forever tarred as:
The party of moral sleaze,
The party of prostitutes, strip-clubs & pornography,
The party of sanctioned serial infidelity,
The party of blatant lies & dishonesty,
The party of collusion with paid, bribed election-twisting burying of sex-skeletons in creepy closets,
The party of white-nationalist racists & bigots,
The party of complicity with a president who glorified the guy who claimed the Sandy Hook Massacre was staged.
The party of blatant, unrepentant, unscrupulous white-collar corruption & organized crime,
The party that can never again be trusted.
The republican party can now never again complain about:
Bill Clinton
John Edwards
Eliot Spitzer
Everything the republican party pretended to stand for since Reagan, is now totally toast.
51
@Tldr
Let’s not forget - the Great Obscene Party can’t pretend to be fiscal conservatives either - not after that tax cut debacle.
It’s not just the sleaze - it’s also lining their own pockets — by a tax cut that only benefits the 1%.
2
Trump’s statement that the payment to Stormy Daniels came from him and not the campaign actually implicates him in the campaign finance crime rather than absolves him. Apparently he doesn’t understand campaign finance law. Interesting that the President of the United States is only apt to tell the truth out of ignorance; when he understands his own criminality he simply lies. Sad......actually much worse than sad.
176
@Crusader Rabbit
"Apparently he doesn’t understand campaign finance law."
Apparently, he does not understand very much about the law in any regard.
His mouthpiece, Rudy Giuliani, also make statements that are questionable at best, and incorrect as to the law at worst.
3
@Crusader Rabbit Yet another serendipitous instance of his malevolence tempered by his incompetence. Thank God for fools!
2
@Crusader Rabbit more kool-aide down the rabbit hole
1
If impeachment enters around this it just won't fly with the American people.
1. Trump has a consensual affair with a woman
2. Woman threatens to go public with her story
3. Trump pays woman 130k to keep quiet
Does that sound like an impeachable offense or a shakedown by an opportunistic pornstar?
24
@Luciano. Trump conspired to keep information from the American people as they were making their choice for president. Then he won with a minority of the vote. If that’s not enough, I’m sure there’s plenty more that we will learn in the days ahead.
47
@Luciano
Because the payoff was for the political reason of not destroying Trump's chances of winning a federal election, it is, according to the experts, a felony campaign payment violation.
Personally, I am all for seeing Trump executed for treason in siding with Putin/Russia over the 2016 intrusions into our election.
1
@Luciano
Or, more accurately a shakedown of the voters by an opportunistic presidential candidate?
8
It's always amazing to me when both lawyers plaintiff and defense are actually working on behalf of one client only. Honorable people, these lawyers.
8
Trump contributed millions of dollars to his own campaign and can legally spend that money anyway he wants to. The same is true of his personal money. Therefore any payments he has made to these women are perfectly legal.
Despite the efforts of liberal socialist democrats we still live in a free country where the government doesn't control every aspect of a person's life.
11
@Don wow. you trump people just cannot admit making a terrible mistake electing this petty tyrant/criminal. How far down will you go? How long will you keep your heads in the sand?
trump is a pathological liar. and has broken many laws---as we are seeing now. I wonder how you--Don--would have reacted to this if it was Obama instead of trump?
63
@Don You are correct on the ability to use personal money in such a matter. However, given the skin-flint reputation of Don the Con, I will be interested to see where that money DID originate. The question for you, Don, is that if it ends up being campaign or other illegal methods, will you support D the C or the rule of law?
36
Yes, but he has to report those payments
22
No matter how disgustingly filthy dirty and illegal Trump and his minion's actions are I'll never stop being amazed that such people operate like this on an ongoing basis. These are adults, people who know right from wrong but who choose to behave without honor, with no compulsion to honesty or integrity, and who live to only pursue their own self-serving and greedy interests--no matter who gets hurt. I can only feel grateful that I do not have to deal with such ugliness in my own life, but I am appalled by the horrid actions of all of the people involved in this cesspool of an administration.
I've read many NYT comments from people in the last 18 plus months who feel that Trump's bad and illegal actions somehow represent the whole of this nation, but I do not believe that is true. Over the course of my life I have seen many acts of generosity and kindness, and many instances of self-sacrifice. So although I've rarely seen noble acts from government so-called leaders, I have witnessed and at times participated in the kinds of social actions designed to help others. Trump may represent the worst of the worst, but he in no way represents the whole of our country.
118
@MyOwnWoman
Your basically describing politicians from day one in this country, excluding maybe John McCain, Lincoln, Eisenhower and the first Bush. Politics is deceitful, lying, underhanded, glad handing, and basically disgusting. Lyndon Johnson was the dirtiest politician ever. But look what he got done in terms of civil rights. But basically continued a disgusting, ridiculous war. Two sides of the coin.
2
@MyOwnWoman
I disagree with your statement "these are adults, people who know right from wrong..."
Adults? In what sense? right from wrong? You gotta be kiddin'.
1
Michael Cohen's declaration of guilt referred to "the candidate" and Individual #1. He testified that Individual #1 directed him to commit a crime for the purpose of influencing the 2016 election, and there is hard physical evidence that proves it. And most important; That Individual #1 was the beneficiary of the crime.
Mr. Cohen is facing years in prison, Individual #1 is not.
Our nation was founded on the principle that we will not have a king and that no person is above the law.
All hail "Individual Number One", King of the United States of America ; Unless Mueller preserves and releases his findings regardless of GOP obstruction.
91
The shifting stories, the lies, the coverup, the hush money, and the explicit violations of campaign finance and election laws are glaring.
Trump is clueless about his own lawlessness —or, rather he's so obtuse and has gotten away with illegal activities and lying for so long, he doesn't realize that he digs himself in deeper every time he opens his mouth or takes another action.
He is a walking perjury trap and crime machine!
“Contrary to established law, he went on to insist that, even though he had paid the $130,000 back to Mr. Cohen, none of it amounted to a crime.
The payments did not “come out of the campaign,” Mr. Trump said. “They came from me.”
Showing he doesn't understand the law at all! His understanding is at about level of a seven-year-old and that's insulting seven-year-olds!
135
The irony of the “Porn actress and the President”, is that Stephanie Clifford may indirectly help end the Trump Presidency.
Apparently, there is a treasure trove of dirty business dealing material in publisher David Pecker’s safe, which reveal countless women Trump used and then paid to go away.
As horrible as this is, there is a bigger problem than just infidelity.
Michael Cohen’s lawyer Lanny Davis says, his client knows much more regarding the payments and that special counsel Robert Mueller will be receiving this information.
Apparently, Cohen has literally thousands of documents pertaining to illegal payments to countless people. Attorney Lanny Davis has convinced Cohen to tell all.
The Stephanie Clifford case opens up a Pandora’s Box of financial corruption.
The Southern District of New York prosecutors have jumped all over this information, Trump cannot pardon anyone in the New York cases.
This is just the beginning of Trump’s troubles. A lifetime of dirty deals are being unearthed.
In essence, It is poetic justice that a porn star (who was to be used and thrown away) may be the one to help end this Trump Presidency.
Seems like sweet Karmic justice.
224
@PeaceLove The Southern District of NY is Federal and Trump can pardon people. The NY State Attorney General or the Manhattan DA (Cy Vance Jr) can bring cases that the President cannot pardon
25
@PeaceLove
It's not true that Trump cannot pardon "anyone in the New York cases." He has the Article II power to pardon for any federal crime except for impeachment. Accordingly, he can pardon persons convicted by the DoJ SDNY. Whether he would want to do so as a political matter is an entirely different question.
However, he cannot pardon for state offenses. Accordingly, convictions brought by, for example, the NY state Attorney General, would be beyond the constitutional scope of his pardon power.
1
@PeaceLove said "The Southern District of New York prosecutors have jumped all over this information, Trump cannot pardon anyone in the New York cases."
The Southern District of New York is part of the US Department of Justice.
Any crimes they prosecute are Federal crimes.
Trump can pardon the people convicted in those.
The NY Attorney General and the Manhattan District Attorney are state legal offices, and Trump cannot pardon people convicted in cases brought be the state of New York (or any other state).
4
The majority of Trump supporters voted and still support #45 because that block has not yet experienced undo erosion of the ability to float financially. When and/or if this situation changed, there will be an impact on the heretofore intransigence of support. Morality, lies, denigration of the national character have no impact.
12
Donald Trump's handlers doling out money is hardly a bridge too far.
So, let the chips fall where they may and call out Trump's actions over the years for what they've amounted to: theft, pilfering, robbery, stealing. Take your pick,
Whether he paid people off to shut them up or as court records indicate, refused to pay others, specifically the contractors he hired to build his Trump-branded casinos and hotels, instead tying them up in court, wearing them down to the point they'd disappear into the woodwork with their pockets turned inside out and empty.
And he's our President. Incredible.
And what's truly amazing is his support continues to linger in the 40% range among the electorate, and even more astonishing, even though history has them clearly in its 'crosshairs'-a whopping 90% of the Republican Congress continue to stand behind Trump.
26
What did Mike Pence know about these illegal activities?
And when did he know it?
44
@Michael and does that make him as guilty in the act as #45?
2
@Michael What "illegal activities" are you referring to?
1
Meanwhile, besides our continued future elections what else will Russia be stealing next? Who cares, sex is more sexy to read about and that's all that matters. Does a wooden puppet really care who pulls its strings?
4
So a Pecker buried the sordid thing, where no Enquirer could teach it. Let’s the Trumpets blast!
2
It makes sense that Trump has to pay women exorbitant amounts of money have sex with him. And it's no wonder he's afraid to show his taxes. He's broke.
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Yeah! The walls are a tumblin' down.
Our president is an immoral beast, but he is also incredibly stupid.
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I hope that pastors and preachers who lauded Trump as defender of christianity, talk in their sermons about porn star actresses, playboy models and hush money.
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@atk they will blame the women...
1
Wasn't former Playboy model Karen McDougal also at the golf tournament where Mr. Trump met Stormy Daniels? And Mrs. Trump the Third was at home with a baby?
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not lie.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's belongings.
But it's all okay with religious conservatives because they get to impose the rules and don't have to follow them, right? Isn't it time for Trump to take them and make their own exodus?
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'The payments did not “come out of the campaign,” Mr. Trump said. “They came from me.'"
Therefore, a crime is not a crime.
Q.E.D
Stable genius, indeed.
17
The payment itself was not illegal. The payment is only illegal if it can be considered to be a campaign contribution. It has been interesting to watch this fact ignored in media coverage.
1
@Nana
and also if it is a tax fraud because it was reported as a legal expense even though it remains to be seen if indeed it was reported as such....in the elusive tar returns of Donald Trump.
@May
Payment to Stormy: Not a crime. Different from the collusion allegation: Never happened.
His critics are 0-2.
Recent news has clarified that Donald and Melania have separate bedrooms in the Whitehouse, makes sense under the circumstances, plus the D’s MANY outside the Whitehouse?
Of course Trumpeters could care less as long as they get their Wall, but NO Wall, no more TRUMPeters blaring, GOODBYE!
1
If I hadn't lived through eight years of Bill Clinton as president, I might be shocked. Also I live in Los Angeles with all its big Hollywood stars and moguls and read of their cheating on each other and paying agents and lawyers to cover it up all the time. To me Trump just comes off like all the others out here who in spite of are still idolized. Better lock 'em all up then just to prove it's not a partisan witch hunt. Influencing campaigns is probably very similar to influencing box offices, and that's what Madison Avenue hype is all about.
3
Apparently the Trump people could simply decide to place a person on Fox news to kill the truth if that served Trump. No concerns for what served America. This is also a story about corrupting news.
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This really is a bunch of old news. But also the comments are a bunch of old news. Everybody of all persuasions needs to relax and let this play out. It is biblical. In the end, all shall be revealed. Stay tuned, this should really be good!
4
The competing narratives, of Trump's statements on his past licentious leans, have dominated the political landscape for many months, sending untenable signals, about anything he starts to opine on. One really feels pole-axed, to mention the malicious and pernicious pronouncements of Trump, who fires from all the cylinders, when it comes to attack his rivals, unfettered. He seems to revel in those castigations.
What staggers a neutral observer, is the unflinching avidity with which his supporters are rooting for him, despite his massive shortcomings. In fact, many in quite a few public offices and universities have attempted to mimic Trump's lamentably boisterous behaviors, much to the chagrin of their friends. The swear words are freely thrown around like nothing else is happening.
All these have to end, somehow. With more than 90% support from the GOP, for Trump, this is going to be a Sisyphean task to do, especially when the maverick, McCain is no more. Trump's huge hubris has to be tackled and tamed.
12
@Vernon
McCain's death may actually be the event that brings down the president. As the base sees Trump's disrespect towards the American hero, they may finally come to the realization that Trump is supremely unfit for office.
The millions of American who loved and admired John McCain are about to see Trump display childish fits of jealousy. Donald will be thinking "why does McCain get a big parade when I had to cancel mine?"
How low can you go?
10
Their excuse now is that Trump made these payments not for the campaign, but for the benefit of his wife not finding out. Well, that puts Melania at the middle of the controversy, meaning that if she knew before (very likely), she could completely obliterate this excuse. But as "enigmatic" as Melania is, she is still complicit in her husband's presidency, and I doubt she would ever speak the truth.
12
How many more women? IMO Trump did not stop at just 2 women. Steve Bannon alluded to dozens. Do they exist or not?
The 'fixer' Cohen would know?
As of today, what information Cohen or David Pecker know is murky as is their deals of immunity or cooperation. Nobody seems to be talking.
I certainly hope Mr. Mueller and his team have a handle on this bunch. I really don't care about the salacious gossip aspect. The truth will be fine when and if Mueller deems it necessary to reveal it.
The threats and hush money are how Trump operates. What else has he paid to keep quiet?
21
I don't understand this story . . . there's nothing new from last week.
7
@David - Yet another NY Times attempt to keep a non-issue alive. This article is not news, it is an opinion piece but no labeled as such.
Perhaps Alan Feuer should clarify that he is an expert in Campaign Finance law.
3
@David
IOW, "The emperor has no clothes!"
1
If you were against Clinton being impeached for lying under oath hard to see how you can be in favor of Trump being impeached for agreeing to a shakedown from a pornstar -- even though it may, technically, have violated the fine print of election law, which even the experts can't seem to agree on
4
@Luciano. Oh, don’t worry, much worse is on the way. This is but the tip of the iceberg I’m sure.
14
@Luciano: if you were against me clinton being impeached, you disagreed with the opinion then prevailing among the congress, dominated as it was by republicans.
impeachment is not a legal process, but a political one. hate to be a canadian having to break that to you. if republicans thought lying about sex was impeachable then, they should agree it is impeachable now.
18
I entertain myself by imagining Trump speaking under oath. Or not speaking, as I can't seem to imagine him talking without lying.
42
We know Trump is a chronic liar and that he's a sleazy womanizer. At this point in his presidency, how does this retold story matter to us Americans? How is the president likely to be held accountable for all this tawdriness? And by what jurisdiction? Will Avenatti depose Trump, and when?
6
Does anyone really care about a porn star trying to blackmail a celebrity/now president ? She went to his arms willingly, knowing he was a married man, met with him at least twice, no doubt in an attempt to gleen more from Trump? Please have your reporters work on subjects of true interest to the American people, and not the lurid trials and tribulations of a woman who seems to have no shame!
5
@Karen if this was Obama---you'd be singing a different tune.
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@jack sherman
Obama, a just and moral man, would never have dreamed of doing anything like this. We've gone from Jimmy Carter, "I've looked on a lot of women with lust. I've committed adultery in my heart many times." To Trump's "Just pay her cash." There is something actually wrong with a person who operates like that. Who thinks this is normal. Their mindset is "by any means necessary." If you would not accept that in your family or business, why would any clear thinking person accept it in a president?
@Karen,
She is the one without shame? She claims no pretense, as she is clear about her part in this affair. DT, however, projects himself as the wrongfully charged family man. Reporters must pay attention to the areas the President has not been honest with the American people. His lack of honesty is exactly the point, not Stormy Daniels. How can you call yourself a caring American and not value truth.
13
“Lock Him Up”
The war cry for the Blue Wave of 2018 and 2020. I’m buying that tee-shirt.
54
@WATSON - Make sure you pick up a sign also.
The 'Blue Wave' will likely consist of less than an inch difference in low tide.
'Here's your sign'
1
It amazes me how many people are going to defend trump, are going to believe him when he says he didn’t know anything about the payments. Absurd.
28
I finally understood why the New York Times has pursued this story (as well as the others like it) so doggedly. Contrary to the not so subtle insinuation that this is against the law (which it isn't), this paper now sees itself as competing with the Enquirer.
8
Notice a pattern that any good detective or prosecutor might. Notice the man in question has sex away from home often with women who market their wares. That’s not a new story in politics or spy craft. He pays $280,000 to keep it out of the news. That’s a fairly pricey night on the town. The same man is at beauty pageant in Moscow, away from home. The former Soviet Country was well skilled at placing cameras in hotels to compromise or flip people for strategic purposes. What would a David Donaldson do to keep over the top sex video tapes made in Russia secret? It makes a good spy novel at least.
45
I thought this tweet from Twump was telling because he is a people of wealth and it's very common for them to do these deals:
"Mr. Cohen, an attorney, received a monthly retainer, not from the campaign and having nothing to do with the campaign, from which he entered into, through reimbursement, a private contract between two parties, known as a non-disclosure agreement, or NDA. These agreements are.....
...very common among celebrities and people of wealth. In this case it is in full force and effect and will be used in Arbitration for damages against Ms. Clifford (Daniels). The agreement was used to stop the false and extortionist accusations made by her about an affair,......
...despite already having signed a detailed letter admitting that there was no affair. Prior to its violation by Ms. Clifford and her attorney, this was a private agreement. Money from the campaign, or campaign contributions, played no roll in this transaction.
3:54 AM - May 3, 2018 @realDonaldTrump
2
Anybody who is reasonably apprised of the matter by reading legitimate media sources already knows the general arc of this sordid narrative. It is unseemly and certainly unbecoming of the Office of the Presidency.
But here's the real danger. Trump supporters are quick to point out that the "L'Affaire Daniels" has absolutely nothing to do with Russia: "no collusion!" as we are repeatedly told. Well, perhaps. A principal tool of Russian intelligence is "kompromat" - the gathering of potentially damaging information about a person to exert pressure or blackmail an opponent.
And so, potential financial crimes aside (admittedly, a HUGE aside), one of the most dangerous aspects of the Stormy Daniels case is that is underlines how susceptible the President is to kompromat.
Who else has "tapes" on President Trump? And what do THEY get for their silence?
45
You have to wonder who the wise men are exactly. Presumably Cohen is referring to David Pecker at least. However, you don't refer to a single individual as "all the wise men." Roger Stone is another guess but we're still a few names short of the party.
Given the context, I'm wondering if Cohen was actually referring to the leadership at Fox and Friends. Wouldn't that make Fox a co-conspirator in FEC campaign violations? I'm sure investigators have already asked but I'm interested to hear the answer.
29
While terrible, I think Trump fans are not bothered by his sexual misconducts. The give him a “wink wink” like a college fraternity. Trump clearly lied about this, but Trumpsters don’t seem to care how horrible he behaves. The irony here is that Mr. Clinton got impeached for much less. If DJT were a Democrat, he would have been gone a long time ago.
The Republican Congress should be ashamed of themselves. Never mind these sexual escapades, but Trump clearly violated election law. They hunker down and pray it doesn’t effect their re election. I think the people Trump hired for loyalty will bring him down. Trump just doesn’t get it that when you harass and fire someone, they will turn on you. He thinks his presidency operates like the Trump Organization. Nobody is going to take a bullet for him.
One wish I have I hope will come true: we can all see his tax returns. They must be VERY interesting. And thank God for the Washington Post’s Fact Checker. Everyone lies so much the Post must use a Cray mainframe to crank out the data.
I think Mueller is near the end. We’ll know for sure when he interviews the Trump children and Kushner. He’s saving the encore as the grand finale.
54
Sorry, but this is still hazy. Was it or was it not actually illegal for Trump to have used his personal - not campaign - money to pass through Cohen? Many people are assuming it was, but there is so much murkiness in these press reports that one feels the rush to "aha, we've got him" is premature...
6
@George S:
if the money paid to ms clifford was intended to affect the outcome of the campaign then unfolding, it was a campajgn expense and therefore reportable. the 'loan' to the campaign by mr cohen was repaid, in 45's own words, by 45 himself. neither was reported - a violation of campaign finance law.
but that's just the tip of the iceberg, so to say. if mr clinton's peccadilloes were impeachable for their moral turpitude then so are those of 45. especially if viewed in light of both men's active efforts to conceal them.
59
Trump amounts to a case study in what amounts to a tawdry individual in both words and deeds ...
31
Bad story, you don’t explain how this is contrary to any law: “Contrary to established law, he went on to insist that, even though he had paid the $130,000 back to Mr. Cohen, none of it amounted to a crime.”
7
@Raquel Baranow
The law is clear, ANY funds used in furtherance of a campaign,whether they are Mr Trumps or Mr Cohens MUST be reported to federal election authorities.
They were not.
Mr Trumps basic defense would be “it was not an election related transactiob it was a private expense”.
Unfortunately too dense to go this route,
1. Admit yeah I had an affair
2. Needed to protect my family.
Sorry, lets move on.
The crime is in the coverup per usual.
22
@HJR - No 'the law' is not clear.
The FEC may or may not investigate Mr Cohens' assertions that the payments violated Campaign Finance rules, but Mr Cohen is going to jail because he pleaded guilty.
To: The New York Times. If the Democratic party gains control of the House and Senate, what measures could be taken to hinder the abuse of what Trump has done and what Mcconnell has done? Thank You.
14
I dont understand how we now know he has committed adultery several times and nothing from his supporters have a problem with this. Another reason to oppose this disgusting being, he is not human, he is an animal who needs to be put out to pasture, (at least he isnt young).
The religious zealots who favor strict religious teachings and preservation of marriage go silent when their leader strays from his marriage. A joke.
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@Dave
Apparently, all those rules and commandments only apply to members of the opposition. No credit or respect is due to any opposition member who abides by religious law.
9
@Dave And those religious zealots would like to control the moral narrative with their anti abortion rhetoric that they are pro life prohibiting them from abiding abortion, so they must dictate this by law and women must hand over decisions regarding their bodies to them. The very same voices remain silent on Trump's infidelity, as they work on Kavanaugh's confirmation both in the chamber and on repeated tv advertisement portraying a man who is above reproach. They don't want separation of church and state unless it comes to adultery.
5
@Dave The religious zealots are as concerned about morality as the guy on the street corner who sold you a watch is worried that it is really a Rolex.
5
So much lying and deceit covering up lying and deceit that the mind can boggle. Yet this is the man Republicans voted for in their droves and will be forevermore attached to in their political history. I hope the sense of shame, which is lacking from them presently, rebounds on to them with such fervour that Republicanism itself is diminished and that they never again are trusted to faithfully serve the people. You deserve better than this.
33
At what point does the current United States congress do their job? This has gone full circle with trump suggesting that he did not know to now stating he found out later. Was the impeachment process started on President Clinton for lying about having sexual relations? Now trump has not attempted to suggest that he might be sorry for what he did and that it was wrong because he is a married man. So what is it that I am missing?
32
Isn't it just amazing how all these dirty men look out for each other. Even more amazing is any woman voluntarily having sex with Trump. I would need a hazmat suit and a timer.
112
You and my wife share the identical viewpoints when it comes to Trump. A conservative commentator recently opined on MorningJoe that women are repulsed by him. @porcamiseria
9
Mr Cohen, being a lawyer, fully understands that getting his version of the story out in media first makes his version the gold standard.
But he is the one going to jail when he is sentenced.
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@RenegadePriest He may not be the only one.
1