The unsealed 13-page statement of facts accompanying the indictment Donald Trump details how Trump allegedly falsified company records in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election to cover up three unsavory stories.
Trump has been charged with 34, felony E counts of falsifying business records for The Trump Organization.
They all relate to how he allegedly tried to make payments to Cohen and American Media Inc. – AMI – after setting up a ‘catch and kill’ plan with them.
According to the statement of facts unsealed today, Trump falsely listed payments to Michael Cohen, his attorney at the time, as being for “legal services,” and also provided false descriptions of other payments in Trump Organization ledgers.
The payments were intended to cover up three scandals: a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, another $150,000 to a second woman who said she had slept with him, and a third $30,000 to a Trump Tower doorman who said Trump had a love child. .
Trump today pleaded not guilty to all 34 counts. He will return to court in December.
Neither the indictment nor the statement of facts exactly describes how Trump himself allegedly falsified documents. Bragg repeatedly refers to “the evidence,” but doesn’t explain exactly what that evidence is.
THE CATCH AND KILL SCHEDULE
In June 2015, Trump struck a deal with AMI and its boss, David Pecker.
The fact sheet details how they met at Trump Tower to discuss Trump’s election chances, and how they could help.
Donald Trump and David Pecker in 2004. According to Bragg’s indictment, it all started with their “catch and kill scheme” to squash negative narratives and get Trump in the Oval Office
At the meeting, AMI’s CEO agreed to help with Defendant’s campaign, saying he would act as the “eyes and ears” for the campaign by looking for negative stories about Defendant and Attorney A to warning before the stories were published.
“The CEO of AMI also agreed to publish negative stories about the defendant’s competitors before the election,” the paperwork released today said.
THE STORY OF THE DOORMAN
The first scandal Trump wanted to cover up was in October 2015 when Dino Sajudin, a doorman at Trump Tower, tried to sell a story to the press
The first scandal Trump tried to cover up was in October 2015 when Trump Tower doorman Dino Sajudin tried to sell a story to the press.
He claimed that Trump had a child out of wedlock, and that he could prove it by his access to the family.
The story has been reported by DailyMail.com in the past.
AMI paid him $30,000 for the exclusive rights to the story, preventing him from taking it to other outlets.
As per the facts, AMI knew the story was not true, but kept Sajudin in the deal until after the election.
The document does not specify whether Trump ever reimbursed AMI for suppressing the doorman’s story.
Instead, he says he invited AMI’s CEO to his inauguration.
WOMAN #1 – KAREN MCDOUGAL
In June 2016, a woman believed to be Karen McDougal, a former Playboy bunny, came forward with claims that she and Trump had had an affair.
According to Bragg’s office, Trump, Cohen and AMI’s editor-in-chief then had multiple conversations about who would “pay her off.”
AMI reportedly paid her $150,000 to keep her from going elsewhere with the claims, as well as two covers and a series of articles.
In June 2016, a woman believed to be Karen McDougal, a former Playboy bunny, came forward with claims that she and Trump had had an affair.
According to the statement of facts, AMI characterized this payment ‘wrongly’.
Cohen told Trump he would open a shell company to transfer the money, according to the documents, which say their conversation was recorded.
So what should we pay for this? 150?’ Trump asked, then suggested paying it in cash, according to the papers.
Cohen disagreed, saying it should be paid by check.
Weeks later, Cohen formed a shell company called Resolution Consultants, LLC, which was then used to pay.
Cohen agreed to buy the rights to the story from AMI for $125,000, according to the paperwork, but AMI later backtracked.
self” and ordered them to do it for him, Bragg claims.
WOMAN #2 – STORMY DANIELS
In October 2016, just a few weeks before the election and after Trump was shamed by the “grab ’em by the p***y” Access Hollywood tape, Cohen and AMI learned that a second woman – Stormy Daniels – was preparing to to get ready. continue with her own story.
Trump and Stormy Daniels at the golf tournament where they met and reportedly slept with each other
Cohen brokered a $130,000 deal for Daniels’ silence, this time dealing directly with her attorney and leaving AMI out of it.
AMI had initially helped him by introducing him to Stormy’s representatives, the papers said
THE COST – TRUMP ‘FALSIFIED BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION’ 34 TIMES TO REFUND THE PAYMENTS
The deal was closed, but instead of paying them back for the $130,000 payment, Trump and Cohen — along with Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg — agreed that Trump would pay them a total of $420,000, according to the documents.
They agreed that Cohen would receive the payments in monthly installments of $35,000 over the next 12 months, Bragg claims.
Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg watches as then-U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks at a press conference at Trump Tower
‘[Cohen] was to send an invoice to [Trump] through Trump Organization employees, who falsely requested payment of $35,000 for legal services rendered in a particular month of 2017 under a commission agreement.
‘Don’t do it at any point [Cohen] have a commission agreement with Trump or the Trump Organization,” the statement of facts read.
The charges all relate to how these payments were categorized by Trump.
Bragg says he falsely labeled them as legal services clerks, which he says indicates a Class E felony.