US President Donald Trump has been charged with a total of 34 felony counts in an indictment that was made public on Tuesday. The charges stem from alleged hush money payments made to two women, Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal.
According to the indictment, in 2016, just days before his presidential campaign began, Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen arranged for a $130,000 payment to be made to an adult film actress who claimed she had a secret affair with Trump. The payment was allegedly intended to silence her from speaking publicly about their alleged relationship.
The indictment also alleges that in 2018, another payment of $150,000 was made to Karen McDougal, another woman who claimed she had an affair with Trump before the 2016 presidential election. Both payments were reportedly made through a shell company linked to Cohen's, with Trump allegedly being aware of the arrangements.
The indictment reveals that the payments were not made out of a desire to silence Daniels and McDougal, but rather as part of a larger scheme to conceal Trump's alleged infidelity from the public. The charges against Trump include 11 counts of falsifying business records, seven counts of conspiracy, six counts of making false statements on a tax return, and nine other felony charges.
The indictment is seen as another significant development in the ongoing investigation into Trump's business dealings and potential wrongdoing. It also marks one of the first times that a former US president has been charged with crimes while still out of office.
According to the indictment, in 2016, just days before his presidential campaign began, Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen arranged for a $130,000 payment to be made to an adult film actress who claimed she had a secret affair with Trump. The payment was allegedly intended to silence her from speaking publicly about their alleged relationship.
The indictment also alleges that in 2018, another payment of $150,000 was made to Karen McDougal, another woman who claimed she had an affair with Trump before the 2016 presidential election. Both payments were reportedly made through a shell company linked to Cohen's, with Trump allegedly being aware of the arrangements.
The indictment reveals that the payments were not made out of a desire to silence Daniels and McDougal, but rather as part of a larger scheme to conceal Trump's alleged infidelity from the public. The charges against Trump include 11 counts of falsifying business records, seven counts of conspiracy, six counts of making false statements on a tax return, and nine other felony charges.
The indictment is seen as another significant development in the ongoing investigation into Trump's business dealings and potential wrongdoing. It also marks one of the first times that a former US president has been charged with crimes while still out of office.