The hush money case involving former President Donald Trump refers to the payments made to two women, Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, during the 2016 presidential campaign to keep them quiet about their alleged affairs with Trump. Michael Cohen, who was Trump’s personal lawyer and fixer at the time, pleaded guilty in 2018 to charges related to campaign finance violations, among other crimes, and admitted that he facilitated the payments to Daniels and McDougal at Trump’s direction.
Since then, there have been several developments in the case. In July 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) announced that it had completed its investigation into the hush money payments and would not be charging Trump or any other individuals in connection with the case. However, in a separate case, Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for his role in the payments.
In 2021, new documents related to the case were released by the FBI, including search warrants and affidavits, shedding new light on the investigation. The documents revealed that Trump was involved in the hush money scheme and that Cohen had communicated with members of Trump’s campaign about the payments. However, it is important to note that Trump has denied any wrongdoing in connection with the payments.There are various other keypoints in case:-
l In August 2020, Michael Cohen was released from prison early due to concerns over COVID-19. He later published a book titled “Disloyal: A Memoir,” in which he detailed his experiences working for Trump and his involvement in the hush money payments.
l In February 2021, the Supreme Court declined to hear a case challenging the SDNY’s decision not to prosecute Trump or anyone else in connection with the hush money payments. The case had been brought by a watchdog group called Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), which argued that the decision not to prosecute was politically motivated.
l In March 2021, the Manhattan district attorney’s office obtained Trump’s tax returns as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into his business practices. It is unclear whether the hush money case is directly related to this investigation.
l In July 2021, the New York Times reported that the SDNY was considering charges against Trump’s company, the Trump Organization, in connection with the hush money payments. The charges could include tax fraud and falsifying business records.
It is worth noting that the hush money case is just one of several legal challenges that Trump has faced in recent years. Other cases include investigations into his business practices, allegations of sexual misconduct, and his role in the January 6th Capitol insurrection.