General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI can't see where paying hush money is illegal, so
wouldn't have been better for trump, and perfectly legal, if he had just paid Stormy Daniels directly and not tried to funnel it through bogus "legal expenses"? Michael Cohen's payment to Stormy Daniels was an illegal campaign contribution because it exceeded $2700, and trump was the unindicted coconspirator because he instructed Cohen to do it and reimbursed him for it.
Seems to me he got really bad legal advice from Cohen and really bad accounting advice from Weisselberg.
Walleye
(31,017 posts)onecaliberal
(32,852 posts)Goodheart
(5,321 posts)But we know from an audiotape that trump wanted to pay Stormy with cash and Cohen said "no, no, no", do it through the shell corporation.
Ray Bruns
(4,093 posts)PJMcK
(22,035 posts)He lies when the truth is easier and harmless. He cant help himself.
Look at Covid. If Trump had acknowledged the pandemic early and let the CDC do its job, he would have cruised to a re-election. But he didnt because hes a compulsive liar.
Its pathetic.
Also, by paying Stormy, he admits the one-night stand. Otherwise, he paid the equivalent of blackmail.
What a wuss.
taxi
(1,896 posts)Sometimes a whole country has to suffer.
RockRaven
(14,966 posts)But he still would have had to report it as a campaign donation/expenditure, IIRC. Which he didn't want to do, because then people would find out about it, because those are public records.
HOWEVER, there was a possible work-around. Perhaps he could have arranged to pay her close enough to election day that the payment wouldn't appear on the required reports until after the election. Perhaps that would not have worked, though, because she might not have trusted that she would get paid if she waited -- with his track record, there would be a legit concern he was trying to pull a fast one, and in fact he had discussed with Cohen delaying until after election day and then not paying.
karynnj
(59,503 posts)In addition, the candidate is not limited by the FEC.
RockRaven
(14,966 posts)personal funds on campaign matters are considered a donation. The FEC website here says so:
https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/candidate-taking-receipts/using-personal-funds-candidate/
When candidates use their personal funds for campaign purposes, they are making contributions to their campaigns. Candidate contributions to their own campaigns are not subject to any limits. They must, however, be reported.
Whiskeytide
(4,461 posts)his entire life. Why wouldnt he do the same with this? Youre 100% correct that he could have an avoided all of this if he had not tried to write it off. But hes incapable of thinking like that. He doesnt believe he has obligations to the government. He believes its smart to cheat the IRS.
former9thward
(31,997 posts)Goodheart
(5,321 posts)I'm thinking that was part of his plan.
Whiskeytide
(4,461 posts)merely pointing out that he has made a habit of falsifying business records since he was born. I suspect wed find irregularities in his allowance reports from 1954.
IHaveNoName
(94 posts)...would have come out of his own pocket, rather than the pockets of the rubes who paid into his grift.
former9thward
(31,997 posts)Campaign funds were not used.
W_HAMILTON
(7,864 posts)Yes, poor Donald Trump, having all these people commit crimes and do jail time for his benefit! Boohoo!
Give me a fucking break.
Goodheart
(5,321 posts)But the way they were paid out and recorded in the books are likely things for which he accepted input and then OK'd, knowing they were not legit.
W_HAMILTON
(7,864 posts)WarGamer
(12,440 posts)If he would have given her a check from his own personal account... perfectly legal.
Why wouldn't it be?
yardwork
(61,599 posts)Trump didn't care that it was illegal. He's fine so many illegal things.
Goodheart
(5,321 posts)inthewind21
(4,616 posts)YES . Writer her a check and be done with it.
lame54
(35,287 posts)Goodheart
(5,321 posts)He had final say on everything.
lame54
(35,287 posts)Screw now pay later is perfectly fine
ChoppinBroccoli
(3,784 posts)That's why Trumpers want you to think the indictment was "just about a hush money payment." It's not. That's why there are 34 counts, and "making a hush money payment" isn't one of them. This particular payment is one piece of the bigger picture, which is "Catch And Kill." It was the cover-up of this payment (the falsification of business records, etc.) that makes it a crime. And it's just one of 34 different incidents.
Yes, it was also an illegal campaign contribution, and because Trump reimbursed Cohen the money PLUS the taxes incurred on it, that makes it tax fraud too. But the New York indictment only deals with the falsification of the records to cover all that up. The other stuff will be covered in the (hopefully) soon-to-come Federal indictment.
pnwmom
(108,977 posts)There is no tax deduction for hush money.