John Wagner, The Washington Post Published 5:01 am PST, Monday, December 10, 2018 In morning tweets,President Donald Trump sought to counter assertions in a court filing Friday that he had directed his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, to try to silence the women in a bid to influence the 2016 presidential election. less In morning tweets,President Donald Trump sought to counter assertions in a court filing Friday that he had directed his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, to try to silence the women in a bid to ... more Photo: Alex Brandon, STF / Associated Press Photo: Alex Brandon, STF / Associated Press Image 1 of / 38 Caption Close Image 1 of 38 In morning tweets,President Donald Trump sought to counter assertions in a court filing Friday that he had directed his … [Read more...] about Trump: Payments to silence women were a ‘simple private transaction,’ not illegal campaign contributions
Campaign contributions trump
Donald Trump: Michael Cohen Payoffs to Women a ‘Private Transaction’ Not Campaign Contribution
President Donald Trump defended hush money payments from private lawyer Michael Cohen to women on Monday, despite prosecutors claiming they were illegal campaign contributions. “Now the Dems go to a simple private transaction, wrongly call it a campaign contribution which it was not,” he wrote.Cohen pled guilty to arranging deals for Playboy model Karen McDougal and porn star Stormy Daniels to silence their claims that they had an affair with Trump before he was president. Cohen claimed that he did so at Trump’s direction. Trump suggested Cohen was lying in order to get his prison sentence reduced, and that it was Cohen’s fault if there was a mistake. “Lawyer’s liability if he made a mistake, not me,” Trump wrote. “Cohen just trying to get his sentence reduced. WITCH HUNT!” Trump suggested that prosecutors were focusing on the payments because they found no evidence of collusion with Russia to win the presidential election. … [Read more...] about Donald Trump: Michael Cohen Payoffs to Women a ‘Private Transaction’ Not Campaign Contribution
Wall Street’s campaign contributions are flowing mostly to Democrats
There's still a week to go before the midterm elections, but Wall Street has already voted -- with its campaign contributions. The securities and finance industry has backed Democratic congressional candidates 63 percent to 37 percent, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. Democratic candidates and political action committees have received $56.8 million, compared to Republicans' $33.4 million. (The data cover the current electoral cycle through Sept. 30.) It's the first time in a decade that the securities industry has given more to Democrats than Republicans. The broader sector of finance, insurance and real estate is following a similar pattern. Its firms have given $174 million to Democratic candidates against $157 million to Republicans. "When Wall Street, or any industry, is giving money to politicians, they're often giving in hopes of gaining influence with legislators," said Michael Beckel, research manager at Issue One, a nonprofit that works … [Read more...] about Wall Street’s campaign contributions are flowing mostly to Democrats
Trump knew about Stormy Daniels payment before he denied it last month, New York Times reports
President Donald Trump was aware of his personal attorney Michael Cohen's hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels when he denied knowing anything about it last month, The New York Times reported Friday, citing two people familiar with the arrangement.Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 ahead of the 2016 presidential election for her discretion on an alleged sexual encounter she and Trump had more than a decade ago. Cohen has admitted to paying Daniels using money from his own pocket.Daniels filed a lawsuit over the nondisclosure agreement, claiming it was void because Trump never signed it himself. The lawsuit has since spiraled and has left Cohen in a potential legal predicament over whether the payment was an illegal in-kind campaign contribution.Trump had denied knowing about the agreement when he spoke to reporters on Air Force One in April. However, Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani drew that claim into question when he said earlier this week that Trump had paid Cohen back. Trump then … [Read more...] about Trump knew about Stormy Daniels payment before he denied it last month, New York Times reports
Giuliani wants limits for Trump interview in Russia probe
May 3 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's new chief lawyer said on Thursday that if his client agrees to an interview with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, it should be limited to a few hours and focus on Russian tampering in the 2016 election.Asked what questions might be appropriate, the lawyer Rudy Giuliani, a former New York mayor, suggested two to Reuters: "Was there some agreement with the Russians? Was there any meeting of Trump with the Russians?"A former federal prosecutor, Giuliani said he was the president's new chief counsel in the Russia investigation but that he would also keep an eye on a U.S. inquiry into a $130,000 hush payment by longtime Trump attorney Michael Cohen to a porn star who said she had a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump.Giuliani said he wanted any Trump interview with Mueller to be limited in time and scope, suggesting for only 2-1/2 hours and not under oath.In addition to the Russia questions, Giuliani said investigators could ask about possible … [Read more...] about Giuliani wants limits for Trump interview in Russia probe