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For the first time - prosecutors have connected Trump to a federal crime

The filing stopped short of accusing the president of committing a crime.

THE US JUSTICE Department has said that Donald Trump directed illegal payments to buy the silence of two women whose claims of extramarital affairs threatened his presidential campaign, the first time prosecutors have connected Trump to a federal crime.

In a court filing , prosecutors said former Trump lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen arranged the secret payments at the height of the 2016 campaign “in coordination with and at the direction of” Trump.

Cohen has previously said Trump was involved in the hush-money scheme, but court documents filed ahead of Cohen’s sentencing made clear prosecutors believe Cohen’s claim.

The filing stopped short of accusing the president of committing a crime. Whether a president can be prosecuted while in office remains a matter of legal dispute.

But there’s no ambiguity in yesterday’s filing that prosecutors believe Cohen’s act was criminal and Trump was directly involved, a disclosure with potential political and legal ramifications for a president dogged by investigations.

The payments are likely to become a target for House Democrats gearing up to investigate the president next year. It’s unclear whether Trump faces legal jeopardy over his role.

Federal law requires that any payments made “for the purposes of influencing” an election must be reported in campaign finance disclosures. The court filing makes clear that the payments were made to benefit Trump politically.

In August, Cohen pleaded guilty to eight criminal charges, including campaign finance violations, and detailed an illegal operation to stifle sex stories and distribute hush money to buy the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who had both claimed they had affairs with Trump. Trump has denied having an affair.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, was paid $130,000 as part of a nondisclosure agreement signed days before the 2016 election and is currently suing to dissolve that contract.

Trump denied in April that he knew anything about Cohen’s payments to Daniels, though the explanations from the president and his attorney, Rudy Giuliani, have shifted multiple times since then.

Another attorney for the president, Jay Sekulow, did not immediately return a call for comment.

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    Mute Hilary McDuffy
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    May 1st 2013, 1:55 PM

    This is the kinda s€umbag who needs to be removed from society And locked away for a very very long time,
    The world doesn’t need creeps like him.,

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    Mute Padraic Quinn
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    May 2nd 2013, 1:37 AM

    Death penalty would be appropriate here

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    Mute Tim O'Sullivan
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    May 1st 2013, 3:09 PM

    I met Dave Greene in a hostel in Perth in 2011
    He was a nice guy, no one deserves what happened to him
    Rip

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    Mute Catherine Crotty Brett
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    May 1st 2013, 1:22 PM

    What can be said about this article.

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    Mute Seán O' Sullivan
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    May 1st 2013, 2:02 PM

    ?

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    Mute Dexter Gordon
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    May 1st 2013, 5:02 PM

    Is that a rhetorical question?

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    Mute Conor Hickey
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    May 1st 2013, 7:41 PM

    We holt should be hanged.

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    Mute Conor Hickey
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    May 1st 2013, 7:41 PM

    Wenholt (autocorrect)

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    Mute Geraldine Kelly
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    May 1st 2013, 10:19 PM

    Isn’t it so sad, and such a waste.

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    Mute Keith Murray
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    May 1st 2013, 2:37 PM

    Luke sorry

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    Mute Keith Murray
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    May 1st 2013, 2:37 PM

    Pretty sure that’s like pictured??

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    Mute Keith Murray
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    May 1st 2013, 11:50 PM

    Why all the red thumbs I’m merely correcting the article as its wentholt pictured and not the victim as stated??ffs

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    Mute Tim O'Sullivan
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    May 2nd 2013, 12:38 AM

    Keith not sure where you got that idea that the picture is of Wentholt? but I can confirm that the picture used in the article is of the victim Dave Greene

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