Trump's 34 charges in full with '$30,000 paid to doorman over lovechild story'
The full list of 34 counts against former President Donald Trump was revealed today and claims the former president made a payment to squash a story about him having a child out of wedlock.
According to the indictment's statement of facts, a $30,000 (£24,000) payment was made to a doorman at Trump Tower by American Media (AMI), who knew about it.
AMI was a media organisation that owned magazines and tabloids including the National Enquirer. It is alleged that AMI CEO David Pecker said he would act as the "eyes and ears" for the Trump campaign and try to spot negative stories about him.
It is claimed that AMI "concluded the story was not true", leading Pecker to try and release the doorman from his agreement, but a lawyer told the CEO not to release the doorman from his agreement until after the presidential election.
“In or about October or November 2015, the AMI CEO learned that a former Trump Tower doorman was trying to sell information regarding a child that the Defendant had allegedly fathered out of wedlock,” the document reads.
Donald Trump's scandalous The Apprentice sacking and his unexpected replacement
It claims that Pecker "negotiated and signed an agreement to pay the Doorman $30,000 to acquire exclusive rights to the story."
Mr Trump leaving Trump Tower in New York (Bryan Woolston/AP/REX/Shutterstock)AMI is alleged to have "falsely characterised this payment in AMI’s books and records, including in its general ledger."
It continued: "AMI purchased the information from the Doorman without fully investigating his claims, but the AMI CEO directed that the deal take place because of his agreement with the Defendant and Lawyer A."
Mr Trump pleaded not guilty to "34 counts of falsifying business records and conspiracy for his alleged role in hush money payments to two women toward the end of his 2016 presidential campaign."
He denies all charges against him.
Mr Trump talks with one of his attorneys inside the courtroom for his arraignment proceeding (Getty Images)The doorman was released from his non-disclosure agreement along with Playboy model Karen McDougal - known as 'Woman 1' - after Mr Trump became president-elect.
The statement of facts then claims Mr Trump met with Mr Pecker after he became president-elect where he "thanked the AMI CEO for handling the stories of the Doorman and Woman 1, andinvited the AMI CEO to the Inauguration."
The investigation is scrutinising six-figure payments made to porn actor Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Both say they had sexual encounters with the married Trump years before he got into politics.
The statement of facts added: "AMI ultimately paid $150,000 to Woman 1 in exchange for her agreement not to speak out about the alleged sexual relationship, as well as for two magazine cover features of Woman 1 and a series of articles that would be published under her byline."
Do you think Trump should be allowed to run for president again? Vote in our poll HERE to have your say.
Trump's awkward confession about Lisa Marie Presley & Michael Jackson's sex life
AMI entered into a non-prosecution agreement the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. It said the company made the payment of $150,000 (£120,000) to McDougal
This, the document says, was so she “did not publicise damaging allegations” before the "2016 presidential election and thereby influence that election.”
All charges against Trump are 'class E’ felonies, which is the lowest category of felony offence in New York. They carry a maximum prison sentence of four years.
In a statement following the hearing, district attorney, Alvin Bragg, said: “Manhattan is home to the country’s most significant business market. We cannot allow New York businesses to manipulate their records to cover up criminal conduct.”
Announcing the Indictment, the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. said today the charges were for "for falsifying New York business records in order to conceal damaging information and unlawful activity from American voters before and after the 2016 election."
The indictment against former President Donald Trump (Jon Elswick/AP/REX/Shutterstock)District Attorney Bragg said: "The People of the State of New York allege that Donald J. Trump repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal crimes that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election."
Mr Trump was arraigned today on charges relating to hush money payments dating from 2016, during the presidential campaign, to cover allegations he had an extramarital affair with pornstar Stormy Daniels.
He was arrested on arrival and placed in police custody at Manhattan District Attorney's Office in New York City.
Mr Trump had his fingerprints taken and also had to surrender his passport. He was seen waving as he arrived at the court this afternoon.
Stormy Daniels said the pair had an affair in 2006, something Mr Trump denies.
People protesting against former President Donald Trump gather outside of the Manhattan Criminal Court before his arraignment (Getty Images)Mr Trump denies having sexual liaisons with either woman and has denied any wrongdoing involving payments.
Before the 2016 election, Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen paid Stormy Daniels £130,000 (£105,000) in hush money. At the heart of the case is how this payment was recorded and if it breaks election finance laws.
He is the first former president ever to face criminal charges.
The former president arrived at Manhattan Criminal Courthouse for the arraignment after being escorted there by secret service agents from Trump Towers, also in Manhattan.
Mr Trump was spared the typical court treatment today, meaning there are no mugshots of the 45th president attending the Manhattan court.
The controversial Republican did not have to do a perp walk.
He was not restrained or left waiting for several hours and is now expected to fly home to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Typical of the controversial president, he is expected to address his supporters at a rally later this evening.
Mr Trump waved as he arrived at the Manhattan court (John Nacion/UPI/REX/Shutterstock)Mr Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
Ahead of his arrest, Trump said on his social media site Truth Social: "Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse. Seems so SURREAL — WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!"
Mr Trump’s lawyer Joe Tacopina said earlier today: "Really, there’s a lot of mystery here because we’re doing something that’s never been done before."
He added: "I think there will be a typical processing, which does not take long, 20-30 minutes. There won’t be handcuffs but, yeah, he’ll be processed the way anyone else would be – to a degree."
Judge Merchan ruled that TV cameras would not be allowed in the courtroom.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks during a press conference following the arraignment (Getty Images)The former president arrived at court wearing a typical dark suit and red tie in an eight-car motorcade that took him from Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan.
Mr Trump, who was impeached twice by the US House but was never convicted in the US Senate, is the first former president to face criminal charges.
The full list of charges related to falsifying business records in the first degree in Indictment No. 71543-23 is as follows:
- An invoice from Michael Cohen dated February 14, 2017
An entry in the Detail General Ledger for the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust. Voucher number 842457
An entry in the Detail General Ledger for the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust. Voucher number 842460
A Donald J.Trump Revocable Trust Account check and check stub dated February 14, 2017
An invoice from Michael Cohen dated February 16, 2017
An entry in the Detail General Ledger for the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust. Voucher number 84690
A Donald J.Trump Revocable Trust Account check dated March 17, 2017
An invoice from Michael Cohen dated April 13, 2017
An entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump. Voucher number 858770
A Donald J. Trump account check and check stub dated June 19, 2017
An invoice from Michael Cohen dated May 22, 2017
An entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump. Voucher number 855331
A Donald J. Trump account check and check stub dated May 23, 2017
An invoice from Michael Cohen dated June 16, 2017
An entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump. Voucher number 858772
A Donald J. Trump account check and check stub dated June 19, 2017
An invoice from Michael Cohen dated July 11, 2017
An entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump. Voucher number 861096
A Donald J. Trump account check and check stub dated July 11, 2017
An invoice from Michael Cohen dated August 1, 2017
An entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump. Voucher number 863641
A Donald J.Trump account check and check stub dated August 1, 2017
An invoice from Michael Cohen dated September 11, 2017
An entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump. Voucher number 868174
A Donald J. Trump account check and check stub dated September 12, 2017
An invoice from Michael Cohen dated October 18, 2017
An entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump. Voucher number 872654
A Donald J.Trump account check and check stub dated October 18, 2017
An invoice from Michael Cohen dated November 20, 2017
An entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump. Voucher number 876511
A Donald J. Trump account check and check stub dated November 21, 2017
An invoice from Michael Cohen dated December 1, 2017
An entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump. Voucher number 877785
A Donald J.Trump account check and check stub dated December 5, 2017
The full indictment can be read here.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
