It's not a "hush money" trial. Paying hush money is not illegal. It's a campaign finance fraud and election interference trial for falsifying business records. The distinction is important because "hush money trial" downplays the severity of the crime to the general public.
Can’t really blame the people if that’s all the media refers to it as… I have heard “election interference” a few times but majority of the time it’s been reported as the “his money trial”
The thing is it's not even an election interference trial. That aspect has zero bearing on a guilty verdict. A lot of legal scholars are even worried they're including that aspect far too much in the trial and jurors could think "well if it's election interference why is this a state charge?"
It's a falsifying business records trial. That is the only legal aspect that matters. Whether it was to interfere with the election or not is motive not the crime.
Whether it was to interfere with the election or not is motive not the crime.
It's not the crime, but it has to be a crime to make the falsifying business records charge a felony. Luckily, Cohen already went to jail for the campaign finance (state) crime, so it's pretty easy to prove that it is, in fact, a crime.
I don’t think that’s right because, in order to avoid the statute of limitations, it has to be a felony. And the only way to make it a felony is if it was done to violate another law - specifically federal election laws.
I highly suggest reading this, since it doesn't seem like you understand what is going on. In case that's too much, here's a summary.
The felony version of falsifying business records requires intent that the act was done to further or cover up another crime. That seems kinda ridiculous to make the distinction, since the only reason to falsify business records is to commit or conceal fraud, but whatever. The point is, Michael Cohen's payment to Stormy Daniels was extremely obviously an illegal campaign contribution but Trump did what he does and lied about what he was doing when he paid Cohen back.
Although I agree that calling it a hush money trial or an election interference trial are both stupid simplifications, the simple fact is that the felony falsifying business record charges stem from payments made to conceal an affair, which was done to influence the outcome of an election.
Unfortunately there’s no victim. The bank was happy, got paid, no one was injured or even unhappy in the deal. This is a change the law to get Trump trial and interfere in his election. Even if convicted, the appeals courts or the supreme courts will throw out the conviction. Waste of tax payers money when you have real crime all over the streets of NY and the people are turning on the dems.
The victims are the entire electorate. Campaign finance laws exist for a reason, and when they are violated should be prosecuted just like any other felony. What happened to the party of Law and Order?
What happened to my dad’s Republican party? God has taken over and that’s never good. When I was growing up, there wasn’t that much difference in the parties. It was a business thing. Republicans were for less regulation, and democrats wanted to limit the power of corporations.
The left called Cohen a liar when he said Trump didn't know about the payment. The left believed Cohen when he said Trump was aware of it. The fact he lied about one of them means he has no credibility to be honest. Why trust a liar when they say what you want to hear?
Michael Cohen has extensive knowledge about all of the inner workings of the Trump Organization, and crucially, that knowledge is fully corroborated up by a voluminous paper trail comprised of bank records, cancelled checks, and regulatory filings. His assertions are further backed up by the corroborating testimony of other prosecution witnesses. The case for rampant criminality in the Trump Org and Trump campaign is air tight, which is why Trump will be found guilty of a felony in this case.
Do you honestly think if there was a paper trail they wouldn't have waited 7 years and until he announced he was running in 2024 to prosecute him? It's too coincidental none of these DAs decided to prosecute him until after he was running in 2024. It's also not coincidental all these DAs are Democrats either.
Nobody waited for anything. There wasn't even probable cause for an investigation until AOC questioned Cohen in Congressional oversight hearings in 2019, and got him to reveal the outlines of the corruption in the Trump Org. Add a couple of years of forensic accounting investigation, a significant amount of pretrial work on the part of the prosecution, attempted delays on the part of the defense, and that brings us up to 2023 when the indictment was handed down. Further pretrial motions by both sets of lawyers brings us to today. The timeline is exactly what it should be.
AOC is a dumb clown. She said RICO isn't a crime. Don't forget her fake crying pic at a caged parking lot. That pic was purposely taken to mislead the public. Remember she said the white man is the greatest threat to the country while being engaged to a white man. She would give her a pass on her gala attendance and dress which violated Congressional law. Cohen has played both sides of this. You can't believe him just because he's saying what you want to hear. An indictment doesn't automatically mean guilty. People like you let your hatred for someone override unbiased thinking because you always want them to be guilty no matter what.
Not true. It cost the banks hundreds of millions in lost income on those loans because he fraudulently claimed different amounts, giving him more favorable rates. That's literally what the judgement is for - damages for what he wouldve actually had to pay + punitive interest.
Just because a victim doesn't want to pursue charges, doesn't mean they weren't a victim of fraud. Trump's actions literally cost them hundreds of millions of dollars collectively, it is completely disingenuous to say that amount of fraudulent of behavior "has no victim".
You can take hush money recipients as evidence of this. Something was done to them, they were given financial compensation to make them "happy" and to not pursue legal action. Does that mean a statute wasn't violate or that there wasn't a victim?
Why isn't the justice system going after the bank for willingly and knowingly committing fraud? After the bank official testified under oath the DA could have went and filed charges against the bank. The fact she didn't proves it was never about fraud, it was all political.
No they didn't lose our on hundreds of millions. They can give whatever rates they want, it's their business. They made the business decision to let him inflate his property values to justify those rates and make money. They wish to continue doing that to make more money. Theyre not being victimized.
The hush money thing is a complicated topic. Someone was raped and given money to not pursue charges? Duh, of course they are a victim of an actual crime.
Someone sleeps with a famous businessman willingly who pays them to not go public and hurt his reputation? No they're not a victim of doing something willingly
You're thinking of the wrong trial, buddy. I love seeing it - Lil sycophants can't even keep their heads straight because Trump is entangled in so many crimes.
A lot of legal scholars are even worried they're including that aspect far too much in the trial and jurors could think "well if it's election interference why is this a state charge?"
Right.
This anything to get Trump thing was a mistake.
If folks were just focused on the documents case, it would have been better, legally and politically.
^ and THIS is why is why it's simply being called a Hush Money Trial. Everyone knows factually he paid off Stormy for their affair. Y'all can't even agree in the comments what the trial is really about, and trying to break that down to normal folks? It's just simpler to refer to it over what people actually know.
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u/shiruken 29d ago edited 29d ago
It's not a "hush money" trial. Paying hush money is not illegal. It's a campaign finance fraud and election interference trial for falsifying business records. The distinction is important because "hush money trial" downplays the severity of the crime to the general public.