Trump reimbursed Cohen for $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels

[dank69]

Just read P&N. Heck just read this thread.
The reality is no one gives a shit that Trump was shagging a prostitute, or that she extorted a $130k out of him. We just need something to hang a charge on. I have no issue with that at all, but lets be up front about it.

I'm quite certain that once this is all over there will be plenty of legitimate charges. Nobody in this thread gives a shit who Trump has an affair with. It's all about the campaign finance violation.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

They could be the ultimate link in the Russian (election) collusion hypothesis, would explain the hold Putin may have on Trump. There's also possibly the much bigger issue of treason, so if the tapes are really there then it could be easier for Mueller prove his case, whatever case he's building.

The DOJ is going to need more than a tape to prove blackmail and from what we see Trump doesn't care about being caught in a sex controversy.

 

[HomerJS]

Just read P&N. Heck just read this thread.
The reality is no one gives a shit that Trump was shagging a prostitute, or that she extorted a $130k out of him. We just need something to hang a charge on. I have no issue with that at all, but lets be up front about it.

If I'm completely up front about it, should have been allowed to come out before the election. Stormy was prepared to do so. Paying her the 130K is the same shit that stung John Edwards.

 

[Greenman]

If you actually go back and look at what happened this is not true. Democrats were intensely critical of Clinton during that time they just (correctly) said it didn’t merit impeachment. I’m not aware of a single democrat who wants to impeach Trump over Stormy Daniels. Republicans, on the other hand, did. We now have substantial evidence of a felony campaign finance violation by Trump made in order to cover up an affair.

Trump should unquestionably be impeached and removed from office but that is for the criminal activity he has engaged in while using the powers of his office and potentially the criminal activity he engaged in to win office, not some affair.

I watched what happened on tv every day. I listened to it on the radio on my way to work.
As I noted above, no one cares about the $130k extortion payment, but just like with Clinton, it's a vehicle to hang a charge on. As to weather or not that payment was actually illegal remains to be proven.

 

[HomerJS]

I watched what happened on tv every day. I listened to it on the radio on my way to work.
As I noted above, no one cares about the $130k extortion payment, but just like with Clinton, it's a vehicle to hang a charge on. As to weather or not that payment was actually illegal remains to be proven.

If no one cares about the sex and extortion payment why were the Trump people so eager to hide it?

 

[mikeymikec]

If no one cares about the sex and extortion payment why were the Trump people so eager to hide it?

And why would he keep denying it.

But I do love how Greenman turned it around by suggesting that she extorted money out of him. Even his own logic backfires, because "if no-one cares about it", then how would the extortion scheme work exactly.

 

[dank69]

If no one cares about the sex and extortion payment why were the Trump people so eager to hide it?

You can't play that angle, for all we know he just didn't want Melania to know.

 

[MomentsofSanity]

If I'm completely up front about it, should have been allowed to come out before the election. Stormy was prepared to do so. Paying her the 130K is the same shit that stung John Edwards.

But criminally it didn't sting Edwards. His reputation was destroyed but we are in a different world. I mean if Trump's reputation hasn't done him in now it never will.

Edwards was not guilty on one count and they just abandoned the rest. That's the point I was getting to earlier in pointing out that if Trump himself reimbursed the money than this isn't going to go anywhere.

 

[fskimospy]

I watched what happened on tv every day. I listened to it on the radio on my way to work.

Me too, and my description of it is accurate. If you just run a quick internet search on news items from that time you'll see legions of Democrats criticizing Clinton's conduct.

As I noted above, no one cares about the $130k extortion payment, but just like with Clinton, it's a vehicle to hang a charge on. As to weather or not that payment was actually illegal remains to be proven.

Speaking of illegal things, extortion is a crime. If you're going to accuse Daniels of a crime you're going to need to provide evidence. As to Trump's payment can you explain how it's not illegal? It was unquestionably done in service of his campaign and it was not disclosed. Willful failure to disclose that in-kind contribution is, ironically, perjury. Exactly what Clinton was impeached for.

 

[mikeymikec]

You can't play that angle, for all we know he just didn't want Melania to know.

On one hand, how could Melania not know about it. This is Trump we're talking about here.

On the other hand, Trump is probably stupid enough to think that Melania didn't know about it, or that she would believe his denials.

Yup, swings and roundabouts!

 

[sactoking]

If no one cares about the sex and extortion payment why were the Trump people so eager to hide it?

I think it's pretty obvious what happened. When word of the affair and cover up broke his popularity was in the toilet and he was barely hanging on with the fundamentalists. They thought that if he admitted to the affair and payment he'd lose the fundamentalists, so they denied everything. They didn't consider the denial would set up other potential violations and certainly didn't think Cohen would be raided. As time went by and Cohen's position got worse, and by proxy Trump's, it became clear that he would not lose any part of the base over this. At that point it became convenient to admit to what everybody knew to try and save Cohen because the blowback from the lie had gotten worse than the blowback from the truth.

 

[Ns1]

The vibe on r/conservative seems to be true Christians are disappointed but whatever at least it's not a democrat, and MAGA dudes are like "nothing illegal, nothing burger confirmed. FAKE NEWS"

 

[VRAMdemon]

This explains Trumps latest ejaculations on Twitter, where he helpfully explains that Mr. Cohen is an attorney and that it is perfectly normal that celebrities such as himself routinely pay porn stars to not discuss things that never happened.

The funny part is Rudy’s insistence that there is nothing illegal regarding the funneling of cash from Trump to Stormy through Cohen. Any time you use the word "funnel" regarding funds, as Giuliani did, it sounds shady as hell. People normally don't "funnel" money for non-shady purposes.Ty Cobb must be having giggling fits right now. As Cohen's stuff has been grabbed and the FBI will have the financial records, there's no use lying so you may as well come out honest as early as possible to have time to work on the spin engine and cover story for the lie. First he knew nothing about it, then he knew Cohen paid her , and now he admits she was paid with his money. I wonder what the story will be next week. They are running out of lie's.

Cohen - "Mr. Trump, please make sure you reimburse me for this $130K transaction you know nothing about, and if you don't mind, spread it out over several months so it doesn't all show up at once."

This may be one legal entanglement where Trump can't:

1. Intimidate his way out of it.

2. Pardon his way out of it.

3. Fire his way out of it

Also..Did RudyG go on Fox & Friends and make the claim the payment was made specifically to influence the election.

https://twitter.com/JuddLegum/status/992017296808992768?s=19

Michael Cohen: “I’m arguably the dumbest lawyer in America.”

Rudy Giuliani: “Hold my beer."

 

[MomentsofSanity]

Meanwhile...

In her lawsuit against President Trump, Summer Zervos has subpoenaed all recordings from ‘The Apprentice’ featuring Trump talking about her, or in which Trump speaks of women “in any sexual or inappropriate manner.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/02/nyregion/summer-zervos-trump-apprentice.html

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Just read P&N. Heck just read this thread.
The reality is no one gives a shit that Trump was shagging a prostitute, or that she extorted a $130k out of him. We just need something to hang a charge on. I have no issue with that at all, but lets be up front about it.

We definitely revolve in different circles. Most people I know of either political stripe were appalled by Clinton not keeping faith with Hillary and many wanted him gone. When asked? "Well it's wrong and there's not a thing to do about it". That's both R and D BTW.

Fast forward a couple decades and morality isn't important but for people who care yeah the R and D peeps I know still don't approve although there is an equivalence being made to defend Trump. If Clinton wasn't a big deal as some say then what Trump does isn't important either.

I strongly disagree.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

This explains Trumps latest ejaculations on Twitter

Trump's account certainly but certainly not from Trump. That's lawyerspeak, not dumbshit ranting.

 

[Thump553]

According to Rudy Trump repaid Cohen in a series of payments-I guess The Donald is having a bit of a cash flow problem.

I'm wondering when His Donaldship actually got around to paying Cohen. It will be really, really interesting if some or all of the payment came after the FBI raided Cohen.

 

[fskimospy]

According to Rudy Trump repaid Cohen in a series of payments-I guess The Donald is having a bit of a cash flow problem.

I'm wondering when His Donaldship actually got around to paying Cohen. It will be really, really interesting if some or all of the payment came after the FBI raided Cohen.

It will also be interesting to see how the payments were structured. If they were below $10,000 that would avoid the requirement of reporting them. Unfortunately for Trump, deliberately making payments to avoid reporting requirements is a serious felony in its own right.

 

[chitwood]

Trump should unquestionably be impeached and removed from office but that is for the criminal activity he has engaged in while using the powers of his office and potentially the criminal activity he engaged in to win office, not some affair.

like getting Al Capone on tax evasion.

 

[HomerJS]

I think it's pretty obvious what happened. When word of the affair and cover up broke his popularity was in the toilet and he was barely hanging on with the fundamentalists. They thought that if he admitted to the affair and payment he'd lose the fundamentalists, so they denied everything. They didn't consider the denial would set up other potential violations and certainly didn't think Cohen would be raided. As time went by and Cohen's position got worse, and by proxy Trump's, it became clear that he would not lose any part of the base over this. At that point it became convenient to admit to what everybody knew to try and save Cohen because the blowback from the lie had gotten worse than the blowback from the truth.

Yeah but we now know those evanlgelicals are phony and are willing to forgive Trump for anything. He might as well fess up to banging Stormy and the others.

 

[emperus]

Why are people taking this second set of statements as the truth whereas the first weren't? I'm sure the prosecutors have actual facts, bank accounts, transactions and emails. So, whatever Trump says now, won't really matter.

All this should show once is again, are the unbelievable Liars Trump and co. are.

 

[MomentsofSanity]

Why are people taking this second set of statements as the truth whereas the first weren't? I'm sure the prosecutors have actual facts, bank accounts, transactions and emails. So, whatever Trump says now, won't really matter.

All this should show once is again, are the unbelievable Liars Trump and co. are.

I can’t speak for others but at the time I had no belief Trump didn’t pay him. It seemed implausible that an attorney just paid 130K out of his own home equity.

This just seems more plausible.

 

[emperus]

Just Wow. Who needs enemies when you have friends like Giuliani.

When asked why Cohen paid Daniels the money, Giuliani said Cohen made the allegations against Trump go away, saying "he did his job."
“Imagine if that came out of October 15, 2016, in the middle of the last debate with Hillary Clinton?" Giuliani asked.
"Cohen made it go away," he added. "He did his job."

Only the best people.

 

[interchange]

Per Trump's twitter Cohen was repaid from regular monthly retainer payments. Well, if this was a legit activity their out to be bills, receipts, proof of payment. Let's see it. If instead that proof is a series of irregular amounts at irregular intervals paid from various sources under Trump's command conveniently below $10k skirting campaign finance reporting, Trump has shot himself in the foot.

Now, I wouldn't put it past Trump, but I doubt Guiliani would go on TV and set him up for that. So it's possible that they have proof of sufficient payments through legit retainer (not excluding the possibility of additional concealed payments). Or someone out there (perhaps from Cohen's seized records) knows about the payments anyway and they're trying to promote a narrative before that information goes public.

 

[alien42]

Prenup. She probably gets a couple hundred grand and that's it.

The whole thing reminds me of when Clinton was banging Lewinsky, he lied about it, got caught red handed, and half the country didn't care. The major difference being Lewinsky didn't blackmail Clinton after doing the deed.

for historical accuracy, and someone please correct me if i am wrong, but i recall that Lewinsky gave Bill a BJ and he banged her with a cigar, there was no actual banging otherwise.