ML-Implode News - Cohen Confirms Trump Made Illegal Payments in Campaign; Continued to Control Trump Org As Prez

Mr. Cohen's most damaging revelations related to Mr. Trump's personal involvement in a potential criminal conspiracy to violate campaign finance laws and cover up those offenses. This possible conspiracy was the subject of a comprehensive report issued by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, the watchdog organization that I direct. In the report, we detail how Mr. Trump could be personally liable for unlawful campaign contributions in the form of payments involving Mr. Cohen to silence women who claimed that they had affairs with Mr. Trump. These potential violations are no small matter. Rather, they appear to have been committed for the purpose of suppressing negative stories about a central issue of the campaign: Mr. Trump's attitudes toward and alleged mistreatment of women.
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The most compelling evidence produced by Mr. Cohen on Wednesday was not anything he said but two documents he produced: copies of two $35,000 checks he received in 2017, one signed by Allen Weisselberg, the chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, and Donald Trump Jr., the other by President Trump. With these and nine other payments over the course of that year, Mr. Cohen was "reimbursed" by the Trump Organization and President Trump for the money that Mr. Cohen spent to pay Ms. Clifford for her silence. The payments also included a $60,000 bonus for Mr. Cohen -- presumably a reward for his loyalty.

These checks are key. They corroborate Mr. Cohen's testimony and provide hard evidence that Mr. Trump and senior executives at the Trump Organization knew of and committed overt acts in furtherance of a conspiracy to violate campaign finance law and cover up those violations. Additionally, the checks are evidence that Mr. Trump knowingly made a false statement when he failed to report his liability to Mr. Cohen on his personal financial disclosure form in June 2017. This potential felony was committed while Mr. Trump was president.

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Cohen Confirms Trump Made Illegal Payments in Campaign; Continued to Control Trump Org As Prez