This Karen McDougal money trail is confusing me.

[madaboutharry]

First we were told that Cohen took out a home equity loan to pay her off and were additionally told that Trump wasn't paying him back,.

Then we were told that the owner of The National Enquirer, a long time friend of Trump, paid her off.

Now we hear a tape with Trump and Cohen talking about the pay off and Trump saying "pay it in cash" and Cohen responding "no, no, no, no..."

And now people on my tv are saying that no payment was made and there was "no crime." Ok. What actually happened with the payoff? Was Karen McDougal paid $150,000 or not? My understanding all along is that she was paid.

I have obviously missed something and would appreciate someone letting me on what actually occurred.

[Siwsan]

1. I thought the home equity loan was taken out to pay Stormy Daniels

I think we will be needing a "score card" to keep track of trump*'s dalliances.

[madaboutharry]

3. You are right.

See how this is so messed up!

So leave out the home equity loan, you're right, that was the Stormy Daniels' payoff.

So the question here is was the money out of The National Enquirer's bank account and was she paid from that? Or was she not paid?

[Historic NY]

2. Trump got someone printing money in Cohen's basement.

[ScratchCat]

4. To "hide" the source of the payment

Cohen apparently arranged for David Pecker and the National Inquirer to "catch and kill" the story. Trump is so stupid and brazen he thought the could just pay her off themselves with cash and Cohen knew better. It is a "reimbursement" and a non-declared expense.

Keep in mind, McDougal is not the only one. They will not be able to construct a winning legal argument that paying off 3, 4, 5, ... 20 women during the Presidential campaign was not done to help his Presidential campaign. You could argue with one it was for "personal/family" reasons - not with the number of payoffs and timing.