Alleged payment to porn star was illegal donation to Trump campaign, watchdog says

[goldenequity]

So far everything is being denied.

I know. This is the same guy.

It's a parallel universe of his own creation. scary really.
you can completely ignore my previous post.
It's like when you ask someone if 2+2=4 and they say 'potato'.
Wat????

[enhanced_deficit]

This story is back in news again:

FBI raids Trump lawyer's office

By Avery Anapol - 04/09/18 04:00 PM EDT 3,243

The FBI on Monday raided the office of President Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, and seized emails, tax documents and records related to his payment to adult-film star Stormy Daniels.
Cohen's lawyer, Stephen Ryan, said in a statement that federal prosecutors in Manhattan obtained a search warrant after receiving a referral "in part" from special counsel Robert Mueller. Ryan called the search “completely inappropriate and unnecessary.”
The New York Times reported that the payment to Daniels is just one of "many topics" being looked at by the FBI.

Other seized documents include business records and communications between Cohen and Trump, but the raid does not appear to be directly connected to Mueller’s probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, according to The Times.Among the materials agents secured are those related to Cohen’s $130,000 payment to Daniels as part of a nondisclosure agreement related to her alleged 2006 affair with Trump.

The payment went through just days before the 2016 election. Cohen has admitted to paying Daniels, but denied it violated campaign finance laws.

Last week, Trump denied knowing about the payment. It was the first time he had addressed the issue publicly.
"You'll have to ask Michael Cohen," Trump said. "Michael is my attorney. You'll have to ask Michael."
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, filed a lawsuit last month claiming that a nondisclosure agreement she signed regarding the alleged affair is invalid because Trump never signed it. Her lawyer on Sunday filed a renewed motion to depose Trump and Cohen over the payment.

http://thehill.com/homenews/administ...lawyers-office

[AuH20]

This story is back in news again:





http://thehill.com/homenews/administ...lawyers-office

Why are they so adamant to take him down? This is flat out bizarre how transparent this is.

[enhanced_deficit]

Hard to say, but could be a long list. Recent news of dissing of FBI dir Comey, firing of deputy FBI dir day before his pension kick in, firing/rebuke of almost eveyone in his cabinet who did not get along with his son-in-law & widely respected Israel-Palestine, Syria peace policy advisor Kushner could be possible reasons as those may have resulted in grudges among career civil/military officers.
Kelly seems to be the only one who has not been fired.

Kushner vs. Kelly

“This Is Kelly’s Way of Saying, ‘It’s Me or Jared’”: Inside the West Wing, Security Clearance-gate Is Getting Uglier by the Day

vanityfair
Feb 21, 2018 - The battle over Jared and Ivanka's security clearances is exposing new fault lines in the West Wing as Kelly's allies join the debate. According to two sources, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster has told Kelly that he supports Kelly over Kushner.

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018...clearance-gate

[Swordsmyth]

Update: Michael Cohen's lawyer says the FBI seized privileged communications between Cohen and his clients - a group that notably includes President Trump. And thus, we have what could quite possibly be an ulterior motive for the search.
While initial reports suggested the raid on Cohen's home wasn't related to the Mueller probe, CBS is reporting that it's unclear whether the raid was in relation to Stormy Daniels, the Mueller probe or something else.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Cohen's office in Rockefeller Center was searched along with his home and hotel room.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...-michael-cohen

[TheCount]

Update: Michael Cohen's lawyer says the FBI seized privileged communications between Cohen and his clients - a group that notably includes President Trump. And thus, we have what could quite possibly be an ulterior motive for the search.
While initial reports suggested the raid on Cohen's home wasn't related to the Mueller probe, CBS is reporting that it's unclear whether the raid was in relation to Stormy Daniels, the Mueller probe or something else.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Cohen's office in Rockefeller Center was searched along with his home and hotel room.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...-michael-cohen

Uh oh, sounds like someone forgot to delete things that he should have deleted...

[FSP-Rebel]

[Swordsmyth]

Update II: As many probably suspected, Trump attorney Michael Cohen is under investigation for possible fraud and campaign finance violations, the Washington Post reported.
The FBI has seized documents - including emails, tax documents and other records - related to Cohen's $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Meanwhile, President Trump has stepped up to defend his longtime personal attorney, calling the raid "a whole new level of unfairness" and going as far to say it was an "attack on our country, on what we stand for before heading into a meeting with top military leaders." He also described the special counsel's team as "the most conflicted group of people I've ever met" and said the raid was "a disgraceful situation."
Trump added that the raid happened after Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein - who is supervising the Mueller probe - approved a referral that Mueller brought to the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
Jeff Sessions also came under fire as the president bashed him once again for recusing himself from the Mueller probe. Trump also exclaimed that "no one is looking at the other side" referring to Clinton's 30,000 missing emails.
"I have this witch hunt constantly going on," he said.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...-michael-cohen

[enhanced_deficit]

POTUS says it is 'attack on our country' , probably just coincidence that Syria war escalation started a day ahead of this major development. No evidence of 'wag the dog'.




TRUMP STRIKES BACK: 'WITCH HUNT' AN 'ATTACK ON COUNTRY'...
VIDEO...
WASHPOST: Cohen under investigation for bank fraud, campaign finance violations...


MUELLER WAR WITH TRUMP
FBI RAIDS PRESIDENT'S LAWYER
PROBE EXPANDS






RAID ROCKS DC...

[thoughtomator]

We are very close to a hot war here inside the US right now.

[Superfluous Man]

Notably, there doesn't seem to be anybody saying that paying her hush money itself is illegal.

But then, how can prostitution ever be illegal? Can't all exchanges of money for sex really just be framed not as paying for the sex itself, but rather paying for the lady to go away when it's over?

[enhanced_deficit]

We are very close to a hot war here inside the US right now.

Not a fan of wag the dog, but won't it be better to have a hot war over there instead of over here?

Trump launches attack on Syria with 59 Tomahawk missiles
Apr 6, 2017 - The missiles targeted the Shayrat air base near Homs, and were in response to a Tuesday chemical weapons attack. Officially announcing the strike, President Donald Trump said the targeted airfield had launched the chemical attack on a rebel-held area, and he called on other nations to oppose Syria's ...

[enhanced_deficit]

04/09/2018 07:13 pm ET Updated 51 minutes ago

Trump Floats Possibility Of Firing Robert Mueller

“Why don’t I just fire Mueller?” Trump asked.

By Nick Visser

President Donald Trump has once again lambasted the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and chastised Attorney General Jeff Sessions for recusing himself from the probe.

Trump appeared to directly float the idea of firing special counsel Robert Mueller at the start of his military leadership meeting on Monday, calling the special counsel’s investigation a “disgrace” and defending his firing of former FBI Director James Comey as the “right thing” to do.

“Why don’t I just fire Mueller?” Trump asked in response to a reporter’s question. “Well, I think it’s a disgrace what’s going on. We’ll see what happens, but I think it’s really a sad situation ... Many people have said you should fire him. Again, they found nothing, and in finding nothing, that’s a big statement.”

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...b07a3485e78ede

[Raginfridus]

We are very close to a hot war here inside the US right now.

Where at?

Can't all exchanges of money for sex really just be framed not as paying for the sex itself, but rather paying for the lady to go away when it's over?

That's what I tell the cops everytime.

[TheCount]

Update II: As many probably suspected, Trump attorney Michael Cohen is under investigation for possible fraud and campaign finance violations, the Washington Post reported.
The FBI has seized documents - including emails, tax documents and other records - related to Cohen's $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Meanwhile, President Trump has stepped up to defend his longtime personal attorney, calling the raid "a whole new level of unfairness" and going as far to say it was an "attack on our country, on what we stand for before heading into a meeting with top military leaders." He also described the special counsel's team as "the most conflicted group of people I've ever met" and said the raid was "a disgraceful situation."
Trump added that the raid happened after Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein - who is supervising the Mueller probe - approved a referral that Mueller brought to the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
Jeff Sessions also came under fire as the president bashed him once again for recusing himself from the Mueller probe. Trump also exclaimed that "no one is looking at the other side" referring to Clinton's 30,000 missing emails.
"I have this witch hunt constantly going on," he said.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...-michael-cohen

Ding ding ding, attorney client privilege doesn't protect an attorney who is committing a crime.

So, who thinks that the timing of this is related to Trump publicly claiming that he didn't know anything about the payment?

[Raginfridus]

Ding ding ding, attorney client privilege doesn't protect an attorney who is committing a crime.

So, who thinks that the timing of this is related to Trump publicly claiming that he didn't know anything about the payment?

Out of sheer idiocy, Trump gave Mueller the rope to hang Cohen.

[TheCount]

Out of sheer idiocy, Trump gave Mueller the rope to hang Cohen.

Not the first nor the last time that his verbal diarrhea got him. That's why his lawyers don't want him to be interviewed by the FBI; he has absolutely no self control.

[Raginfridus]

Cohen was a Deep Dish mastermind, and Trump has thrown him to the wolves. Or Cohen and Trump planned on Mueller raiding the office, and they've outsmarted everybody.

It's just like the comic books.

[Swordsmyth]

Cohen was a Deep Dish mastermind, and Trump has thrown him to the wolves. Or Cohen and Trump planned on Mueller raiding the office, and they've outsmarted everybody.

It's just like the comic books.

We live in interesting times.

[TheCount]

#MAGA: Making Attorneys Get Attorneys

[AuH20]

[AuH20]

Binary thinkers are dangerous and stupid to boot. If it was that simple, we'd be living in a paradise of freedom. In contrast, Republicans are actually double agents for the super state who assist the encroaching march towards tyranny. Party ID is completely inconsequential.

[enhanced_deficit]

The FBI Raids on Trump’s Attorney Are Bad News for Trump

Special Counsel Robert Mueller would not do this lightly.

By NORMAN EISEN, NOAH BOOKBINDER and CONOR SHAW
April 09, 2018

Monday’s FBI raids on Michael Cohen’s office, home and hotel room are the clearest sign yet that the president’s longtime attorney is in serious legal jeopardy. They also represent yet another threatening development facing Donald Trump after more than a year of investigations into his campaign and presidency—perhaps the most direct danger yet.

No wonder he’s lashing out wildly—calling the raids “a disgraceful situation” and, absurdly, “an attack on our country.”

The evidence sought by investigators reportedly relates to bank fraud and campaign finance violations, both of which primarily point to one thing. Cohen apparently used a home equity credit line to borrow the $130,000 he paid Stormy Daniels for her silence just weeks before the 2016 election. If Cohen lied to obtain credit from a federally insured financial institution, that is a felony punishable by up to 30 years’ imprisonment. And because the payment was likely an in-kind contribution to the Trump campaign, it could constitute a willful violation of campaign contribution limits, a separate felony punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment.

That the investigation of Cohen was apparently referred by special counsel Robert Mueller to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York—a Trump appointee—is an early indication that at this point, the matter is not directly related to the Russia investigation. But that doesn’t mean Trump’s exposure is any less serious. Cohen knows where the LLCs are hidden. He’s been at the center of Trump’s financial universe for decades. If he is as exposed as he seems on the Daniels payment, one wonders what information he might be able to offer prosecutors—including Mueller—in exchange for a deal.

In addition, while the guilty pleas of Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos, deputy campaign chair Rick Gates, and former national security adviser Michael Flynn were all significant, none of them directly jeopardized the president the way a Cohen deal would. If the FBI seized evidence showing that Trump directed Cohen’s payment to Daniels, Trump may also have committed a felony violation of campaign finance law. If Cohen and Trump worked together to come up with the scheme, they might also both be guilty of conspiring to commit a campaign finance violation. And if Trump (notwithstanding his recent denial) actually knew that he was the beneficiary of the nondisclosure agreement, he might be guilty of a separate offense—failing to report that asset on his personal financial disclosure form.
The president seemed to recognize the seriousness of the development immediately. He launched one of his most predictable and worrying tirades yet.

https://www.politico.com/magazine/st...mueller-217841

Binary thinkers are dangerous and stupid to boot. If it was that simple, we'd be living in a paradise of freedom. In contrast, Republicans are actually double agents for the super state who assist the encroaching march towards tyranny. Party ID is completely inconsequential.

What about Michael Cohen, democrat or Repub ? Not that partys labels matter much.

[enhanced_deficit]

CBS News April 11, 2018, 8:12 PM
Michael Cohen search warrant documents mentioned Trump by name

The FBI search and seizure warrants executed against President Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen mentioned President Trump's name several times, sources familiar with the documents tell CBS News' Jeff Pegues. Sources who've seen the warrants told Pegues it appeared to them that the real target of the raids was Mr. Trump. One source called it a "search and destroy mission."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/michael...ollywood-tape/

[enhanced_deficit]

Drudge Report, that came to prominence decades ago after publishing Monica Lewinsky scandal that MSM had refused to cover, is giving lot of coverage to this scandal.
Current headlines on Drudge:







NOOSE TIGHTENS AROUND TRUMP LAWYER...

UNDER CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION FOR MONTHS...

FIXER IN A FIX...

Doubles down on claim never been to Prague...

Red flag for President...

Pentagon Papers whistleblower urges Mattis to protect world from Trump... COMEY THROWS THE BOOK AT PRESIDENT... Feud takes vicious turn...

Prosecutors: Cohen raid is red flag for Trump

By Alexander Bolton - 04/14/18 01:53 PM EDT 4,329


Former U.S. attorneys say the FBI's raid on Michael Cohen's office is a red flag for President Trump and suggests that Robert Mueller has compiled significant evidence of criminal activity by the president’s longtime personal lawyer.

These legal experts say the raid was significant because of high-profile nature of the case and the likely scope of the search warrant that authorized it.
ADVERTISEMENT

The breadth of the search indicates prosecutors suspected Cohen possessed a trove of evidence pointing to illegal activity that he would not have turned over to law enforcement voluntarily.But, former prosecutors note, the raid doesn’t necessarily implicate Trump in criminal wrongdoing.
Instead, it may be an attempt to turn Cohen, a close confidant intimately familiar with the dealings of the Trump Organization, against the president as a key witness.

http://thehill.com/homenews/news/383...flag-for-trump

[RJB]

So the Trumps scandals all come down to one important question... Who paid the hookers?

[enhanced_deficit]

So the Trumps scandals all come down to one important question... Who paid the hookers?

Lately seems that way.. unless real story is being kept secret by Mueller and such reports are meant to keep media/public entertained.

And to be fair, premise of that question has already been forcefully denied by POTUS:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPZhBVqCOlM

[enhanced_deficit]

Cohen Would Turn Against President if Charged, Counselor Warned Trump

Former prosecutor Jay Goldberg says he cautioned president that his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, could be compelled to cooperate with prosecutors


Michael Cohen, longtime personal lawyer and confidante for President Donald Trump, leaving the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Monday. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Updated April 18, 2018 2137 COMMENTS

One of President Donald Trump’s longtime legal advisers said he warned the president in a phone call Friday that Michael Cohen, Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer and close friend, would turn against the president and cooperate with federal prosecutors if faced with criminal charges.
Mr. Trump made the call seeking advice from Jay Goldberg, who represented Mr. Trump in the 1990s and early 2000s. Mr. Goldberg said he cautioned the president not to trust Mr. Cohen. On a scale of 100 to 1, where 100 is fully protecting the president, Mr. Cohen “isn’t even a 1,” he said he told Mr. Trump.

Mr. Cohen is under criminal investigation for potential bank fraud and campaign-finance violations. FBI agents raided Mr. Cohen’s home, hotel and office last week, seeking documents about, among other things, a $130,000 payment he made in October 2016 to a former adult-film actress to prevent her from publicly discussing an alleged sexual encounter with Mr. Trump in 2006, The Wall Street Journal previously reported, citing people familiar with the matter.​Messrs. Trump and Cohen deny such an encounter occurred.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/cohen-w...ump-1524093151

[enhanced_deficit]

Why this public statement at this juncture?

Did Trump just make a ‘hugely damning admission’ in the Stormy Daniels case?



April 26
President Trump made a rare public comment about the Michael Cohen-Stormy Daniels case Thursday morning, playing down the lawyer's work for him and insisting that he didn't know about Cohen's business activities.
But Trump also said something that would seem ... less than ideal. While describing Cohen's allegedly limited work for him — a “tiny fraction” of his legal work, Trump assured — Trump confirmed to “Fox and Friends” that Cohen “represented” him in the Daniels case.


“Michael would represent me, and represent me on some things,” Trump said. “He represents me — like with this crazy Stormy Daniels deal, he represented me.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...-daniels-case/

[enhanced_deficit]

Breaking on Drudge:

Kellyanne's husband contradicts Trump and tweets link to Federal Election Commission rules that say ANY loan for 'the purpose of influencing any election' is campaign cash that must be reported

• Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani says president reimbursed lawyer Michael Cohen for a hush-money payment to a porn star, through a legal retainer
• George Conway, whose wife is Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway, tweeted a link to government rules about loans to candidates
• If Trump paid Cohen back, it was legally a 'loan'; and if Cohen paid Stormy Daniels specifically to help Trump win an election, it's counted as campaign cash
• That could mean Trump jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire
• He could have been required to report the 'loan' on his financial disclosure forms, depending on when he started paying Cohen a retainer

Updated: 14:57 EDT, 3 May 2018

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5687515/Kellyanne-Conways-husband-contradicts-Trump-tweet-FEC-regulations.html