The Wall Street Journal reports that Trump loyalist and attorney Michael Cohen handled a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep her from going public with the story of at least one sexual encounter with Donald Trump ahead of the 2016 election.
“These are old, recycled reports, which were published and strongly denied prior to the election,” a White House official said, responding to the allegation of a sexual encounter involving Mr. Trump and Ms. Clifford. The official declined to respond to questions about an agreement with Ms. Clifford. It isn’t known whether Mr. Trump was aware of any agreement or payment involving her.
Cohen issued a statement flatly denying Trump ever had any encounter with Daniels, but did not deny that a payment was made to her.
In a statement to The Wall Street Journal Cohen complained, “This is now the second time that you are raising outlandish allegations against my client. You have attempted to perpetuate this false narrative for over a year; a narrative that has been consistently denied by all parties since at least 2011.”
Despite Cohen's protestations, there does appear to be something there.
Previous reports from the WSJ say that Daniels (aka Stephanie Clifford) had been in talks with a high-profile morning show in the fall of 2016 about an appearance to discuss Mr. Trump. The WSJ also reported that the National Enquirer had agreed to pay $150,000 to Karen McDougal, a former Playboy centerfold model, for her story of an affair a decade earlier with Trump.
But now other people are talking. The Journal spoke to several friends of McDougal’s, who say that she told them at the time she was having an affair with Trump that lasted about ten months. Another friend tells the paper that she and McDougal attended the 2006 Miss Universe pageant at Trump’s invitation.
A friend of Ms. McDougal’s recalled attending the Miss Universe pageant at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles as a guest of Mr. Trump in 2006. Mr. Trump’s limousine picked up Ms. McDougal and her at Ms. McDougal’s Beverly Hills home, and the two women sat in the front row with Mr. Trump and music producers Quincy Jonesand David Foster. Mr. Trump escorted them home, the friend said.
That anecdote, at least, is borne out by photographic evidence, conveniently posted on McDougal’s Twitter page. In September 2015, McDougal tweeted out four photographs: two showing her with Trump, one of her with David Foster, and one with an unidentified woman—as a “#tbt in honor of #republicandebate.”
As an extra measure, Cohen also emailed the WSJ a statement purported to be from Ms. Daniels, denying any "sexual and/or romantic affair" with Trump.
“Rumors that I have received hush money from Donald Trump are completely false,” the statement said.
Apparently the settlement money didn't land in her account soon enough, either. Daniels complained that the payment wasn’t being made quickly enough and threatened to cancel the deal, according to people speaking to the WSJ.
So, here's what we know. There seems to be pretty clear evidence that Trump had at least one dalliance in 2006 with a former playboy model. There's a nice photograph of Trump (see above) at an event with a porn star. There are no denials that payments were made, only denials of "relationships."
She's white and blonde. Just his type.
And then there's this little gem (Believe Bannon or Fire and Fury if you choose...so far I've found no real substantive errors in the book):
Yes, that would seem to indicate that Marc Kasowitz handled payoffs to 100 women or so during the campaign. Payoffs for what? Pussy-grabbing or something more?
This image from Adam Ellis sums up Donald Trump well. Perhaps Congress should DO SOMETHING about him.
