Former US President Donald Trump has been slapped with a plethora of felony charges, totaling 34 counts, in an indictment that has left the nation reeling. Unsealed on Tuesday, the document lays bare the details of a scheme to pay hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about an alleged extramarital affair with Trump.
According to the statement of facts accompanying the indictment, Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen orchestrated the payment of $130,000 to Daniels' lawyer, Michael Avenatti, on behalf of Trump. The money was then wired to a company controlled by Daniels and her husband, which was subsequently reimbursed through a Trump-owned shell company.
The investigation into this transaction appears to have originated from reports that the Trump Organization had funneled millions of dollars in hush payments to adult film stars including Daniels, Karen McDougal, and former Playboy model Jill Harth, all while claiming that these transactions were mere personal expenses.
This new development marks a significant escalation in the ongoing saga surrounding Trump's business dealings and potential ties to organized crime figures. In October 2021, Cohen took his own life in prison while serving a three-year sentence for campaign finance law violations related to these same hush money payments.
As this indictment comes on the heels of several other high-profile investigations into Trump's conduct as president, including those focusing on election interference and obstruction of justice, it has sparked widespread concerns about potential fallout from the Republican Party.
The 34-count indictment is a serious blow to Trump's already precarious position in the wake of his second impeachment trial in January. This latest development raises the stakes for what could be one of the most high-stakes presidential impeachments in US history.
According to the statement of facts accompanying the indictment, Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen orchestrated the payment of $130,000 to Daniels' lawyer, Michael Avenatti, on behalf of Trump. The money was then wired to a company controlled by Daniels and her husband, which was subsequently reimbursed through a Trump-owned shell company.
The investigation into this transaction appears to have originated from reports that the Trump Organization had funneled millions of dollars in hush payments to adult film stars including Daniels, Karen McDougal, and former Playboy model Jill Harth, all while claiming that these transactions were mere personal expenses.
This new development marks a significant escalation in the ongoing saga surrounding Trump's business dealings and potential ties to organized crime figures. In October 2021, Cohen took his own life in prison while serving a three-year sentence for campaign finance law violations related to these same hush money payments.
As this indictment comes on the heels of several other high-profile investigations into Trump's conduct as president, including those focusing on election interference and obstruction of justice, it has sparked widespread concerns about potential fallout from the Republican Party.
The 34-count indictment is a serious blow to Trump's already precarious position in the wake of his second impeachment trial in January. This latest development raises the stakes for what could be one of the most high-stakes presidential impeachments in US history.
34 felony charges? that's like a whole new level of trouble 
and it's not even over yet 
the fact that Michael Cohen took his own life in prison while serving time for related hush money payments... that's just devastating 
my thoughts are with him and his family 
all these high-profile investigations into Trump's conduct as president... it's getting harder to see how he's gonna wriggle out of this one 
what's next? more revelations? more twists and turns? my heart is on the edge of my seat 
it's just sad that people have to go through all this. i hope trump faces justice for whatever he did 
this is all so crazy, can't believe trump got hit with 34 felony charges... seems like he's been getting away with stuff for a looong time, and now the law finally caught up 
my question is, how many more people are gonna get implicated in these hush money payments? it feels like there's still so much dirt that needs to be dug up... also, what about michael cohen, he was a key player in all this, seems like his death should've been investigated more thoroughly 
Trump's been playing with fire for years, now he's gonna have to face the flames 
. this is gonna be a wild ride, folks 
. And poor cohen, taking his own life in prison? that's just heartbreaking 
. I don't know how this is gonna play out, but one thing's for sure, it's gonna be a wild ride 
.
this indictment is a huge deal and i'm low-key hyped that justice is finally being served 
but at the same time i feel bad for his family and all the people who've been affected by his actions 
anyway i just can't wait to see how this whole thing plays out it's gonna be so juicy 
. I MEAN, WHO DOES PAY $130,000 IN HUSH MONEY TO A FORMER PLAYBOY MODEL JUST TO KEEP QUIET ABOUT AN ALLEGED AFFAIR?! IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF A BAD MOVIE 
. AND NOW COHEN'S DEAD FROM SUICIDE... IS THAT SOME KIND OF SADISTIC PATTERN WITH THIS GUY? 
. anyway, this whole thing is just so messed up, especially considering Trump was president at the time... I mean, can you even imagine how much pressure he must've been under? 
. And with Cohen taking his own life, it's clear that this scheme went all the way to the top 
. The question is, how far will this go? Will it be enough to finally bring him down, or just more of the same old politics as usual? 
... it's just so unfair that he's getting away with this kinda behavior 
... can't wait to see how this whole thing plays out 
I'm not sure what's more shocking, the fact that Trump did this or that he thought he could get away with it for so long 
. Anyway, this just adds fuel to the fire for his impeachment trial and it's gonna be a wild ride 
[Image of Donald Trump with a " Got caught" face] 
let's see how trump handles this one... fingers crossed he gets held accountable 
... I just wish there was a way to make this guy take responsibility for his actions without having to put him through another trial 
.