Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen did what the boss wanted. He paid hush money to Stormy Daniels to keep quiet her relationship with Trump prior to the 2016 election. Cohen took a second mortgage on his house to get the $130,000 for Daniels and was repaid by billing Trump over time for legal expenses. Thus, the hush money payment was a tax-free business expense for Trump. It landed Cohen in trouble with the IRS.
And you know how it all worked out.
In 2016, Trump was elected president.
In 2019, Cohen was sentenced to three years, fined $50,000 and disbarred. (He can’t apply for readmission to the New York bar until 2026.)
Trump’s lawyers battled for delay, with Trump’s trial finally coming in May 2024. He was found guilt on all 34 counts.
After more delays, sentencing is this Friday (1/10/25). Judge Juan M. Merchan has indicated he will hand down an unconditional discharge – no jail time, fine or probation.
In response, Trump posted on Truth Social that the trial was a “rigged charade” and Merchan “a radical partisan.”
“Every Legal Scholar and Pundit” has “unequivocally stated that the Manhattan D.A.’s Witch Hunt is a nonexistent case, which is not only barred by the Statute of Limitations but, on the merits, should never have been brought,” Trump wrote.
Jonathan Turley, writing in The Hill, says few minds will be changed.
Somewhere Michael Cohen is pondering the justice: Stormy got the cash, Trump won the presidency (again), and Cohen, the lawyer, took all the punishment.
And now it’s January 6
Joyce Vance reminds us of Donald Trump’s reaction to Jan. 6, 2021:
The blue letters at the bottom show Twitter’s reaction.
And you know how it all worked out.
Trump left Twitter and started Truth Social.
Elon Musk bought Twitter and changed its name to X.
Stockholders of Twitter played the role of Stormy Daniels.
