Donald Trump Should Not Go to Prison in Hush Money Case

The criminal case against Donald Trump is more than just about his alleged sexual encounters with adult film star Stormy Daniels. It’s also about the alleged use of money and influence to bury potentially negative stories about a presidential candidate in the White House race against Democrat Hillary Clinton.

During their affair, which started in July 2006 and was made public in 2018, Daniels said Michael Cohen paid her $130,000. It was a payment she says Cohen told her to stay quiet about and not reveal her identity.

Prosecutors allege that Cohen acted at the direction of Trump and that the payments to Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal were illegal campaign financing violations. The Federal Election Commission fined The National Enquirer in 2021 for paying McDougal a $150,000 “catch and kill” fee to bury a story about her extramarital relationship with Trump before the presidential campaign.

According to the indictment, Trump reimbursed Cohen for his work on the hush money payments and falsified business records, which prosecutors say was to conceal a violation of the campaign finance laws. The charges are all Class E felonies, which can carry four-year prison terms apiece.

If convicted of a felony, Trump could face up to four years in prison, but legal analysts say he’s likely to be able to get the charges upgraded to misdemeanors. In addition, he may be able to argue that his statute of limitations has expired and that the hush money payments were personal, not political, and therefore not criminal campaign financing violations.

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The former president’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, told CNBC that Trump is expected to surrender to the Manhattan District Attorney’s office early next week. He plans to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon before Judge Juan Merchan in Manhattan.

In a recent interview with Piers Morgan, Stormy Daniels, the adult film star at the center of the criminal case against her ex-husband, said she does not think the former president should go to prison if convicted of concealing hush money payments he made to her.

As a result of her alleged affair with the president, Daniels has been receiving death threats from some of her followers on social media. She also says she was abused in a California brothel and has been subjected to stalking.

Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, said she’s “kind of numb” now that the hush money investigation stemming from her alleged affair has led to her criminal indictment — and that it’s prompted death threats against her. She also said the criminal case vindicates her efforts to hold the former president accountable. She hopes to use the experience to help other women who have experienced similar situations.

In a video interview posted on YouTube, Stormy Daniels argued that her story is essential and that she does not want to see the former president go to jail for this alleged crime. She also said she did not believe the hush money payments were personal but rather were intended to keep her from talking about her affair with Trump.