President Donald Trump is now facing criminal indictment, becoming the first-ever U.S. president to confront such charges. The roots of this scandal, known as the Stormy Daniels affair, trace back to February 2017 when it reached the White House. Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, recounted a pivotal moment during a congressional testimony two years later, providing insight into the unfolding events.
Amidst Trump’s first month in the presidency, Cohen found himself in the Oval Office, where Trump, in a moment described as “awe-inspiring,” assured him about forthcoming reimbursement cheques for January and February. These cheques, totaling $70,000, were linked to what Cohen characterized as a “biblical-level sex scandal,” involving hush money payments to the adult film star Stormy Daniels.
The saga commenced in 2006 when Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, encountered Trump at a celebrity golf event in Nevada. At the time, Trump, a 60-year-old New York real estate billionaire and reality TV star, expressed interest in Daniels, comparing her to his daughter Ivanka and proposing a spot on his show, The Apprentice. Their interactions escalated, resulting in a sexual encounter.
More Read
Despite subsequent meetings, including one at a Beverly Hills hotel to discuss Trump’s fear of sharks, Daniels and Trump did not engage in further sexual relations. In 2011, as Trump contemplated a presidential run, Daniels attempted to sell her story, but legal threats from Cohen halted a potential magazine interview. The matter resurfaced in 2016 when Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model, sold her Trump affair story to the National Enquirer in a “catch and kill” deal orchestrated by Cohen.
The Stormy Daniels affair regained prominence in 2018 when the Wall Street Journal broke the story, leading to denials from both Trump and Cohen. However, Cohen later revealed the $130,000 hush money deal, which he facilitated to ensure Daniels’ silence about the affair. Cohen, Trump, and Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organization chief financial officer, orchestrated the payment, leading to Cohen’s guilty plea on federal charges, including tax evasion and campaign finance violations.
Despite previous legal proceedings, the Daniels payment persisted as a “zombie case.” Recent developments indicate that Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg is moving towards an indictment related to the Daniels payment, encompassing charges such as falsification of business records, tax fraud, and campaign finance violations.
Trump, reacting to the news of the indictment, decried it as political persecution, while Cohen acknowledged the significance of the 34 counts involved. Stormy Daniels, in response to the unfolding events, expressed gratitude for the support she received, adding a touch of humor with a reference to her champagne.
