Topline
Former President Donald Trump denied having an affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels and attacked her appearance in a lengthy statement issued through his campaign, hours after reports emerged that he is likely to be criminally charged in connection to a hush money payment made to her during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Former President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he departs after speaking at the Conservative … [+]
Key Facts
Trump said he “did absolutely nothing wrong” and denied having an affair with Daniels, calling the Manhattan District Attorney’s investigation into his role in the $130,000 payment made to her in exchange for silence about their alleged affair “a political Witch-Hunt.”
The investigation is an attempt by Democrats to “take down the leading candidate, by far, in the Republican Party,” Trump said, calling it “a weaponization of our judicial system.”
Trump also re-upped his previous claim that the statute of limitations has expired in the case—most New York felonies must be prosecuted within five years, though experts say there is legal doctrine that allows some cases to extend beyond the deadline.
The former president also attacked Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg as a “radical left prosecutor, who has allowed violent crime to reach new heights in New York without any retribution” (Bragg won election in 2021 on the heels of a pandemic-induced crime wave that hit many major cities across the U.S. during the pandemic).
Referring to Daniels using the slur “Horseface,” Trump said he has “won lawsuits for hundreds of thousands of dollars” against Daniels, an apparent reference to her failed libel suit against him over a tweet suggesting she lied when she said she faced intimidation to keep quiet about the alleged affair she had with Trump in 2006, a year after he married former First Lady Melania Trump.
The statement did not address the reports that he had been called to testify before the Manhattan grand jury weighing charges against him and did not indicate if he would.
Key Background
Reports emerged Thursday that Trump has been asked to appear before the Manhattan grand jury considering charging him for his role in the payment made to Daniels—a strong indicator that prosecutors are nearing an indictment. Prosecutors are likely to argue that the Trump Organization effectively made an illegal donation to his campaign when it reimbursed Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, for the payment. Cohen pleaded guilty to eight felony counts in August 2018 for his role in the Daniels deal, which included a non-disclosure agreement. She went public with the affair in 2018, arguing that Trump never signed the NDA.
What To Watch For
Trump also faces potential charges in ongoing investigations by the Department of Justice, the New York Attorney General and the Fulton County, Georgia district attorney that could jeopardize his third campaign for the presidency. The DOJ is investigating both his handling of classified documents after leaving office, along with whether he incited the January 6 Capitol riots with his false claims of election fraud, while the Fulton County, Georgia district attorney’s office is probing his role in seeking to overturn his loss in the state during the 2020 presidential election. New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office has also filed a civil suit against Trump and his children, alleging they inflated the value of his assets in order to secure loans.
Tangent
Trump, meanwhile, has ramped up his presidential campaign over the past month as new candidates have entered the race and others weighing runs have also increased their political activity. He will travel to Iowa on Monday, three days after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who is considered his top competitor for the 2024 GOP nomination, visits the state on Friday. Trump made an appeal to farmers in Iowa early Friday in a post on Truth Social that attacked DeSantis using his preferred nickname for his former protege: “No other President was as PRO FARMER as me. Tell that to Ron DeSanctimonious when he shows up to your door, hat in hand. Tell him to go home!”
Further Reading
Trump Expected To Be Criminally Charged In New York, Report Says (Forbes)
Trump Could Face Charges For Stormy Daniels Payments As Manhattan DA Reportedly Convenes Grand Jury (Forbes)
Stormy Daniels And Michael Cohen Bury The Hatchet, Discuss Alleged Trump Affair (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2023/03/10/trump-denies-affair-with-stormy-daniels-as-he-could-reportedly-face-criminal-charges-in-hush-money-scheme/