Entertainment
Key players in Donald Trump’s hush money lawsuit
May 23, 2024, published at 1:00 am ET
Donald Trump
Donald Trump became the first former president in US history to face a criminal trial.
Former President of the United States and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump is the suspect in the hush money trial. He is said to have falsified his company’s details to conceal payments to his then lawyer. Michael Cohenwho paid $130,000 in hush money to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.
Prosecutors say he disguised the transaction as a legal payment and provided false company information to promote his candidacy at the time.
He faces 34 charges of falsifying company records, but he pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on April 4, 2023.
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Michael Cohen
Michael Cohen served as executive vice president and special counsel of the Trump Organization in 2007.
Trump’s former lawyer and fixer serves as a key prosecution witness against the ex-POTUS. In 2018, he pleaded guilty to tax evasion, campaign finance law violations and lying to Congress.
During Trump’s civil fraud trial, Cohen alleged that his former boss directed him and the Trump Organization’s CFO Allen Weisselberg to fraudulently increase his net worth.
Cohen has since said that Trump also directed him to make the hush money payment to Daniels.
Stormy Daniels
Stormy Daniels was unsuccessful when she sued Donald Trump for defamation in 2018.
Daniels allegedly had a sexual encounter with Trump after their meeting at a golf tournament in 2006. Prosecutors said Cohen struck a deal to silence Daniels for $130,000, although Trump denied their alleged relationship.
The former adult film star has been open in her interviews about the encounter and that she never wanted it to become public because it was “consensual.”
“I am absolutely ready. I’ve been ready. I hope with all my heart that they call me,” she said The view in an interview. “I enjoy the day that I get to meet him and speak my truth.”
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Karen McDougal
Donald Trump denied having a relationship with Karen McDougal.
Karen McDougala former Playboy model and Trump’s so-called “other woman,” claimed she had a 10-month affair with the businessman between 2006 and 2007.
The parent company of National researcher allegedly paid her $150,000 in 2016 for the rights to her story about the connection between her and Trump. Trump also denied having a sexual relationship with McDougal.
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Donald Trump
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David Pecker
David Pecker dropped shocking photos of Tiger Woods cheating on his wife during the Trump trial in 2007.
National researcher’s former publisher David Pecker was involved in several catch-and-kill schemes while reportedly helping Trump’s campaign identify negative stories about him. He reportedly met with Trump and Cohen at Trump Tower in August 2015, according to prosecutors.
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Hope Witch
Hope Hicks worked as Donald Trump’s campaign press secretary in 2016.
According to court documents Hope Witch called Cohen after the release of the Access Hollywood Tape. The former White House communications director was reportedly present during Trump, Cohen and Pecker’s 2015 meeting.
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Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg
Donald Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying corporate records.
Former civil rights attorney Alvin Bragg became the first Black man to lead the Manhattan District Attorney’s office after being elected in November 2021. He began overseeing the prosecution of Trump’s company in an unrelated tax fraud case before the indictment.
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Judge Juan Merchan
Juan Merchan has worked as a New York court judge since 2006.
New York lawyer season Right Juan Merchan chair of the Trump Organization’s tax fraud case. He has previously handled Trump-related cases, including Weisselberg’s conviction.
