In a private transaction in 2016, before the U.S. presidential election, Mr. Cohen used his own personal funds to facilitate a payment of $130,000 to Ms. Stephanie Clifford [Stormy Daniels]. Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms. Clifford, and neither reimbursed Mr. Cohen for the payment directly or indirectly.
Contrary to the allegations in the complaint, which are entirely speculative, neither Mr. Cohen nor Essential Consultants LLC made any in-kind contributions to Donald J. Trump for President, Inc., or any other presidential campaign committee. Mr. Cohen has not been a government employee during any of the relevant time period. The payment in question does not constitute a campaign contribution or expenditure and, therefore, the FEC lacks jurisdiction over this matter. The complainants have not and cannot present any evidence to the contrary. Accordingly, the complaint should be dismissed.
BTW, this letter the letter WAS NOT presented to the grand jury. So, they might still indict based only on Bragg’s one-sided presentation of the evidence.
But whether it will have an effect on Bragg’s determination on whether to pursue an indictment remains to be seen.
This is because the letter could influence Bragg’s evaluation of Cohen’s credibility issues (Yeah, I know, I’m dreaming ), even if grand jurors are unaware of its contents.
This is clearly a white supremacist plot organized by Trump to embarrass and discredit a person of color.
I still highly doubt Bragg will go forward. But the goals will have been achieved.
Bragg will have his publicity
Trump’s name again dragged through the mud
Gleeful leftist media cheerfully discussing “Trump in prison” to its low IQ viewers.
Cohen is nothing but a lyin’, sleazy shyster lawyer with a criminal record. Somebody needs to try to leak that information to Chubby Cheeks’ “grand jury”.
Aw, gee. They really had him this time. Each time something like this comes up. the words “Roadrunner, the coyote’s after you. Roadrunner, if he catches you you’re through” keep running through my mind. Then I spend the rest of the day trying to remember the rest of the lyrics.
It is hard to believe that Briggs will not be able to get a Manhattan grand jury full of liberal democrats to vote to indict Trump. They were probably ready to indict Trump before they heard any evidence.
The only evidence they hear is what Briggs chooses to present to them. The only witnesses are ones he called, there is no cross examination, and no right of rebuttal by the accused. He even tells the grand jury what the law is. That is why there is an old saying that a DA can get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich.
I guess we’re supposed to believe that the DA didn’t have access to five year old Federal Election Commission records? How convenient.
Bombshell this Bombshell that…Ugh. I have resigned to the fact that the country has fallen so much I don’t think it can be restored. The repubs that are elected fold in short order with a few exceptions. Get elected and that whiff of money under their nose and they fall in line. I don’t know why Trump would bother. He won his second term and the deep state powers that be refused to seat him. Why would they seat him again? Nothing has changed since. This is how I see it.
Could he say, “I have no idea what my attorney was doing at the time.”?
That sounds quite similar to what Trump has stated about Cohen.
Why would Cohen pay Daniels for her silence without reimbursement?
What lawyer just says, oh there’s 130k in my pocket, I’ll give it to this porn star threatening to tell on my client, because I really like the guy. Chump change.
That's not at all what the letter said.
It said neither the Trump Organization nor the campaign had involvement.
It said nothing about Trump being involved nor about him reimbursing Cohen, which Trump has admitted he did.
Even if Trump paid the money, where’s the crime?
Trump probably told Cohen to stuff her mouth with gold, as Trump has an Amendment I right to make his electoral goals clear.
For days ABC radio was breathlessly breaking in every 5 seconds about the Grand Jury’s finding evidence of criminality committed by Trump.
Not so much today. Crickets....
Why does this whole affair of who paid and were they reimbursed seem like daja vu all over again? Didn’t we hash it all out years ago?
Who or what is Da Bragg, a recently discovered hip-hop talent?
The letter shows that Cohen changes his story when convenient, thus negating his value as a witness.
Stephen Ryan’s choice of words is interesting: “neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction ... and neither reimbursed Mr. Cohen for the payment, directly or indirectly.” Since we know that Cohen was reimbursed, plus given a bonus and extra for taxes, this begs the question, BY WHOM? Does anyone know if ALL the installments were paid by Trump from his personal funds?
Ah gee Surrender Monkeys another kick in the ash. Seeing Trump in an orange jumpsuit would have kept you going for a few weeks. Now with the walls closing in on Dollar Hunter Biden and Charlie McGonigal and John Durham still out there what will you do for pessimism?
First, if he is indicted, it will give Trump a huge platform of the Deep State to run on.
What is should be even more frightening to Democrats is the timing of the followup court actions and the Democrats ability to control them. Given the various things discussed in the article, previous legal analysis on statute of limitations, level of criminality of certain charges, ets. the question become will this become a conviction or will it be thrown out of court rather quickly? More importantly, what would having the case be thrown out of court due to Trump polling numbers during certain critical stages of the election cycle? Remember Slow Joe's polling number are just above his all time low.
Moving forward with the case during a contested Presidential election cycle could be the ultimate wild card. I would wager some Democratic Party strategists are examining this card and who it could be played by either side and who has the most to loose.
Personally, I think fat Alvin has the most to loose. If he fails to get a conviction or the case gets thrown out of court, Alvin with be made a scapegoat and destroyed by his Democratic partners.