Tag

#Cohen

3 incidents

Updated May 30, 2024 Corruption & Self-Dealing
Critical Rights and Rule-of-Law Concern

Stormy Daniels Hush Money: Campaign Finance Felony and Directed Fraud

The $130,000 payment to Daniels was made by Cohen 11 days before the 2016 election to prevent her account from influencing voters. Trump reimbursed Cohen through Trump Organization checks falsely described as payments for legal services. The Manhattan DA's office prosecuted Trump for the falsification of business records; a jury of 12 New Yorkers convicted Trump on all 34 counts on May 30, 2024. Trump was the first sitting or former U.S. president convicted of criminal offenses.

Sources
4
Stormy-Danielshush-moneycampaign-financefelony-convictionpre-presidency
Updated September 18, 2024 Corruption & Self-Dealing
Major Abuse of Power

Hush Money: 34 Felony Counts for Falsifying Business Records — Found Guilty

The prosecution established that Trump directed Michael Cohen to pay Stormy Daniels $130,000 eleven days before the 2016 election. Trump reimbursed Cohen through a series of false invoices and checks falsely recorded as 'legal expenses' — the 34 counts all arose from these falsified records. The Manhattan DA alleged the falsification was done to conceal the underlying crime of election fraud (influencing an election through unlawful means). The case also documented the AMI/National Enquirer arrangement in which the tabloid bought and suppressed stories from McDougal and others — the 'catch and kill' scheme. Trump was sentenced to an unconditional discharge on September 18, 2024, but the conviction remained on record.

Sources
4
hush-moneyconvictionStormy-DanielsCohenpost-presidency
Updated November 27, 2019 Corruption & Self-Dealing
Critical Rights and Rule-of-Law Concern

Trump Tower Moscow: Active Negotiations During 2016 Campaign, Covered Up

The Trump Tower Moscow project involved Cohen emailing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov's office in January 2016 seeking Putin's personal assistance advancing the project. Trump signed a letter of intent in October 2015. Negotiations continued through June 2016. Cohen testified to Congress in 2017 that negotiations ended in January 2016 — a lie he later admitted under oath. The project would have been the largest Trump deal ever, potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars and requiring Russian government approval. Throughout this period, Trump repeatedly denied any Russian business dealings and publicly advocated for lifting sanctions on Russia.

Sources
4
RussiaTrump-Tower-MoscowCohenpre-presidencycorruption