Draft indictment detailed Trump’s role in hush money scheme
Washington: Federal prosecutors have prepared an 80-page indictment against Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen that outlined the US President’s role in directing payments to women to keep quiet about alleged affairs, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The report on Friday adds new details to Cohen’s comments in court when he pleaded guilty in August, in which he said the payments to the women were coordinated with Trump, reports CNN.
Trump was involved in or briefed on nearly every step of the payments that were made to former Playboy model Karen McDougal and porn star Stephanie Clifford, who goes by the stage name Stormy Daniels, to keep quiet about their alleged affairs with Trump, the Journal said.
The 22-page document prosecutors ultimately filed against Cohen alleged that he coordinated with one or more members of the Trump campaign.
According to The Journal report, Trump met in August 2015 at the Trump Tower with David Pecker, the CEO of American Media, who offered to use the National Enquirer to buy the silence of women who might try to publicize sexual affairs with Trump.
The criminal filing from prosecutors described the meeting in vague terms, but didn’t go into detail.
During the campaign, Trump asked Pecker to stop McDougal from telling her story, and Pecker’s company paid $150,000 to the former Playboy model. Then in October 2016, Cohen paid $130,000 to Daniels himself to keep her from going public about an affair with Trump.
The President lawyers declined to comment. Trump has previously denied both affairs.
Michael Avenatti, the lawyer representing Daniels, said the new developments vindicated his client.
“I think the President should be indicted.”
