In all my 60 years of criminal defense litigating and teaching, I have never heard of a case based on such a ridiculous stretching of the law than the potential indictment of Donald Trump.
The case against Trump may be even weaker than outlined above. Far from paying 'hush money,' Trump was in the process of legal escalation that could lead to a very public defamation suit. He had paid Cohen a lump sum to prepare for an arbitration for damages against Stormy Daniels.
The money Cohen paid to Daniels came from a personal mortgage he had taken out against the value of his own property, without the knowledge of Trump, or even his own wife. One possible explanation is that Daniels was extorting Cohen.
The case against Trump may be even weaker than outlined above. Far from paying 'hush money,' Trump was in the process of legal escalation that could lead to a very public defamation suit. He had paid Cohen a lump sum to prepare for an arbitration for damages against Stormy Daniels.
The money Cohen paid to Daniels came from a personal mortgage he had taken out against the value of his own property, without the knowledge of Trump, or even his own wife. One possible explanation is that Daniels was extorting Cohen.