National Enquirer Flips On Donald Trump

[_Dr Exiled]

The Donald responds saying it was a private transaction and that Cohen should have stopped him from doing it in the first place.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-12-13/i-never-directed-michael-cohen-break-law-says-trump-thursday-tweetstorm

Does anyone know if the payoffs have been traced to campaign money as the source?

I'm not sure the money has to be traced to a "campaign source" in order for a violation to occur. If the money was used to aid the campaign, then it is a campaign contribution subject to the campaign finance laws.

I did a little more digging and found out what is being alleged.

[_subgenius]

Suddenly you value Judge Nap's opinion?

Well, the attention given to Andrew Napolitano may be something to do with him being a Fox News senior judicial analyst.

And somewhere upthread, when I cited an opinion on Trump's legal position from another commentator, didn't you say something like 'For every opinion you can cite from CNN on your side of the argument, I can cite a legal expert from FOX on my side'?

So I had hoped that an opinion delivered very plainly and forcibly by a Fox News senior judicial analyst might commend itself to you.

There's no pleasing some people, is there?

People in general can be pleased, not sure of that relevance. But Fox having more than one legal analyst was my point upthread - and that point applies here, meaning that legal interpretations can be just that, and without knowing what evidence is being referred to, Nap could just as well be incorrect with his interpretation...but obviously you are free to have faith in whatever you want to have faith in.

[_subgenius]

My god it's like talking to a toddler. Prosecutors have tape recordings of Trump and Cohen discussing the payments and setting up shell companies, as well as referencing David Pecker, the head of AMI and who has a history of burying potentially damaging stories about Trump.

CFR, because the tape I listened to was not going to convict anyone other than Cohen.

This comes after Trump and company denied everything to begin with and now we're at a place where they admit to payoffs with proof of payoffs, with proof of shell companies set up to facilitate it, all done days before the election.

are you saying this with respect to a particular crime being committed? or are you claiming that these contradicting public statements are open for criminal prosecution?

This is after dozens of denials that none of this ever happened in the first place. Like, what the “F” is wrong with your brain? How do YOU operate?

- Doc

Geez, obviously mine works because yours just has this loose lid that pops open with a slight breeze and lets any old thing fall inside...how are you convicting someone based upon what have presented here? You have no actual evidence of a crime other than "well, he denied not committing a crime and now he admits to not committing a crime".

Derpy derp...ironically, among all these scientific wannabes I am the only one asking for evidence....while the rest of you run around with your 3 witnesses introduction and peep stones claiming that its time to get the stake burning.

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

Trump: [In background] Good. Let me know what’s happening, okay? Oh, oh. Maybe because of this it would be better if you didn’t go, you know? Maybe because of this. For that one, you know -- I think what you should do is get rid of this. Because it’s so false what they’re saying, it’s such bulls---. Um. [PAUSE] I think, I think this goes away quickly. I think what — I think it’s probably better to do the Charleston thing, just this time. Uh, yeah. In two weeks, it’s fine. I think right now it’s, it’s better. You know? Okay, hun. You take care of yourself. Thanks, [Unintelligible]. Yup, I’m proud of you. So long. Bye.


[Into phone] What’s happening?

COHEN: Great poll, by the way.

Trump: Yeah?

COHEN: Seen it. Great poll.

Trump: Making progress.

COHEN: Big time.

Trump: And, your guy is a good guy. He’s a good —

COHEN: Who, Pastor Scott?

Trump: Can’t believe this. No, Pastor Scott. What’s, what’s happening —

COHEN: No —

Trump: Can we use him anymore?

COHEN: Oh, yeah, a hundred — no, you’re talking about Mark Burns. He’s, we’ve told him to [UNINTELLIGIBLE].

Trump: I don’t need that — Mark Burns, are we using him?

COHEN: No, no.

FEMALE: Richard [UNINTELLIGIBLE]. I’m sorry, Richard [UNINTELLIGIBLE] just called. He — just when you have a chance, he had an idea for you.

Trump: Okay, great.

COHEN: Um, so, we got served from the New York Times. I told you this — we were …

Trump: To what?

COHEN: … To unseal the divorce papers with Ivana. Um, we’re fighting it. Um, [Trump attorney Marc] Kasowitz is going to —

Trump: They should never be able to get that done.

COHEN: Never. Never. Kasowitz doesn’t think they’ll ever be able to. They don’t have a —

Trump: Get me a Coke, please!

COHEN: They don’t have a legitimate purpose, so —

Trump: And you have a woman that doesn’t want 'em unsealed.

COHEN: Correct.

Trump: Who you’ve been handling.

COHEN: Yes. And —

Trump: And it’s been going on for a while.

COHEN: About two, three weeks now.

Trump: All you’ve got to do is delay for —

COHEN: Even after that, it’s not going to ever be opened. There’s no, there’s no purpose for it. Um, told you about Charleston. Um, I need to open up a company for the transfer of all of that information regarding our friend, David, you know, so that — I’m going to do that right away. I’ve actually come up and I’ve spoken —

Trump: Give it to me and [UNINTELLIGIBLE].


COHEN: And, I’ve spoken to Allen Weisselberg about how to set the whole thing up with ...

Trump: So, what do we got to pay for this? One-fifty?

COHEN: … funding. Yes. Um, and it’s all the stuff.

Trump: Yeah, I was thinking about that.

COHEN: All the stuff. Because — here, you never know where that company — you never know what he’s —

Trump: Maybe he gets hit by a truck.

COHEN: Correct. So, I’m all over that. And, I spoke to Allen about it, when it comes time for the financing, which will be —

Trump: Wait a sec, what financing?

COHEN: Well, I’ll have to pay him something.

Trump: [UNINTELLIGIBLE] pay with cash ...

COHEN: No, no, no, no, no. I got it.

Trump: ... check.

[Tape cuts off abruptly. Separate recording begins.]

MALE: Hey Don, how are you?

So Cohen suggests creating a shell company to pay AMI, and Trump seems to approve. Cohen says he’s already spoken to the CFO of the Trump Organization about financing the deal. Then, as Trump and Cohen discuss the financing, the recording cuts off. Trump’s team has denied the deal ended up happening, which we of course discovered was a lie.

Are you really this daft? I don't want to believe it, but it seems you're doing your level best to remove any doubt to the contrary.

- Doc

[_Kevin Graham]

which tape? the one that clearly confirms Cohen driving the bus? or until Cohen informs him that Trump clearly did not know about any AM payment? or where Trump tells Cohen it should be “done in a regular way that was transparent.” ?

Feel free to point out where Trump ever said the part you put in quotes.

You're just regurgitating Giuliani's idiotic argument. You know, the guy who went on national television and told Sean Hannity that Trump reimbursed Cohen, just before he backtracked and changed his story to fit Trump's preferred narrative of ignorance.

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

From the WSJ and additional reporting by NBC:

Donald Trump was the third person in the room in August 2015 when his lawyer Michael Cohen and National Enquirer publisher David Pecker discussed ways Pecker could help counter negative stories about Trump's relationships with women, NBC News has confirmed.

...

Daniel Goldman, an NBC News analyst and former assistant U.S. attorney said the agreement doesn't detail what Trump said and did in the meeting. "But if Trump is now in the room, as early as August of 2015 and in combination with the recording where Trump clearly knows what Cohen is talking about with regarding to David Pecker, you now squarely place Trump in the middle of a conspiracy to commit campaign finance fraud."

- Doc

[_Res Ipsa]

He wanted to be in the room where it happens.