Former President Donald Trump offered adult film star Stormy Daniels a financial incentive to keep quiet about their relationship, including the hush money payments made ahead of the 2016 election. Daniels testified about the payments earlier this year, which led to Trump being convicted of 34 felony counts. In a separate case, Daniels was ordered to pay Trump’s legal fees after losing a defamation suit against him. Two months after the hush money trial, Trump’s lawyer proposed a lower payment in exchange for Daniels remaining silent about their interactions. Daniels’ lawyer declined the proposal, and they ultimately settled on $627,500 without agreeing to stay silent. Trump’s campaign falsely claimed that the documents obtained by MSNBC were part of an illegal hack. Trump is facing sentencing next month for the hush money case. This historic conviction marked the first time a former president has been found guilty of a crime. The payments were made by Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen in the final days of the 2016 campaign, with Trump reimbursing him and listing them as legal expenses on business records.
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