Seems a bit different, since with Trump he was a candidate paying other people with his own money, while Edwards was a candidate receiving money from other people.
Exactly
Actually, the track they are following is that Cohen paid Stormy Daniels with his own funds, and that he would recover those funds later in some nondescript payments from Trump.
Which is true. However, that is the way it had to be. It wouldn’t be much use to have all parties sign a NON DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT and then have TRUMP send a PERSONAL CHECK written to STORMY DANIELS. That would negate the whole NDA thing.
Every one of these DEMS know that to be the case. They use it themselves (NDA’s) all the time. BUT, it’s the only thing they’ve got right now, so no matter how hypocritical, they are going with it.