Stormy Daniels, a pornographic film actress, claimed to have had an affair with Donald Trump, then a reality TV star, in 2006. The encounter became a historic event that led to the brink of criminal indictment of a former US president, as the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, is preparing to seek felony charges against Mr. Trump for concealing a $130,000 hush-money payment that Michael D. Cohen, Mr. Trump’s lawyer and fixer, made to Ms. Daniels. The prosecutors’ chief witness would be Mr. Cohen, who admitted to helping arrange the Daniels payment to aid Mr. Trump’s presidential bid. If convicted, Mr. Trump would face his first criminal charge for paying off a porn star. The Stormy Daniels scandal resurfaced when Ms. Daniels began working with an agent to sell the story of their liaison during Mr. Trump’s 2015 presidential campaign. Mr. Trump met with David Pecker, the publisher of American Media Inc. and The National Enquirer, in his office at Trump Tower, along with Michael Cohen, and Pecker promised to publish positive stories about Mr. Trump and negative ones about opponents.
Trump’s Affair with Stormy Daniels: A Look Back
In 2006, the future president of the United States, Donald J. Trump, allegedly invited adult film actress Stormy Daniels to his hotel room after a celebrity golf tournament. At the time, it was seen as a sordid affair with little significance. However, this encounter has since led to a potentially historic development: the possibility of the first criminal indictment of a former US president.
The Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, has indicated that he may seek felony charges against Mr. Trump for allegedly concealing a $130,000 hush-money payment that his lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, made to Ms. Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election. A conviction would likely rest on prosecutors proving that Mr. Trump reimbursed Mr. Cohen and falsified business records to conceal a possible election law violation.
The episode has been investigated by the Federal Election Commission and federal prosecutors in New York, but neither took action against Mr. Trump. The case is expected to hinge on a legal theory that has not been tested in New York courts, which raises the possibility that the charges could be limited or thrown out.
Mr. Trump, who is seeking the Republican nomination for the White House, has denied the allegations and said that he did nothing wrong. He is expected to frame the indictment as a politically motivated “witch hunt” and use it to galvanize his supporters. He even predicted his arrest and called for protests on Saturday.
The prosecutors’ chief witness would be Mr. Cohen, who has already pleaded guilty to federal campaign finance violations, admitting that he helped arrange the Daniels payment to aid Mr. Trump’s presidential bid at the behest of the then-candidate.
If an indictment is issued, it would be another extraordinary episode in the Trump era. The former president, who is already under investigation for other potential crimes, may face his first criminal charge for paying off a porn star.
Stormy Daniels’ Encounter with Donald Trump: A Look Back
In July 2006, Stephanie Gregory, known professionally as Stormy Daniels, met Donald Trump, then a reality TV star, at a celebrity golf tournament in Nevada. She was 27 years old, and he was 60. As a child, Ms. Daniels felt ashamed of her upbringing in a ramshackle ranch house in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after overhearing a friend’s father refer to her as “white trash.”
Attracted by the money she could make, Ms. Daniels started as an exotic dancer even before finishing high school, working at a local club called Cinnamon’s. At 23, she began acting in pornographic movies and soon married the first of her four husbands, Bartholomew Clifford, who directed adult films under the name “Pat Myne.”
As they chatted that night in Mr. Trump’s penthouse at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, he told her that she should be on “The Apprentice,” an NBC reality show. She doubted he could make it happen, but he assured her he could. He even called her “Honeybunch” occasionally from a blocked number.
After their encounter, they saw each other at least twice more in 2007 but did not sleep together again, and Mr. Trump never put her on “The Apprentice.” Still, he kept calling, she has said. Eventually, she stopped answering.
Since 2000, Mr. Trump had staged long-shot presidential runs that more resembled publicity stunts than serious bids for office. He kicked off another in 2011, promoting conspiracy theories that then-President Barack Obama had been born outside the United States. As he did so, Ms. Daniels began working with an agent to see if she could sell the story of their liaison.
They negotiated a $15,000 deal with Life & Style, a celebrity magazine, telling its reporter that Ms. Daniels believed Mr. Trump’s offer to make her a contestant had been a lie.
The Stormy Daniels Scandal: More Attempts to Sell Her Story and Hush Money Payments
After failing to sell her story to Life & Style, Ms. Daniels’ agent leaked it to a gossip blog called “The Dirty” in October 2011 to generate interest from paying publications. The story was briefly followed up by a couple of media outlets, but none offered payment, and Ms. Daniels denied the story. Keith Davidson, her agent’s lawyer, had the post taken down.
As Mr. Obama prepared to leave office in 2015, Mr. Trump decided to run for president once more. That August, he met with David Pecker, the publisher of American Media Inc. and The National Enquirer, in his office at Trump Tower, along with Michael Cohen. Mr. Pecker promised to publish positive stories about Mr. Trump and negative ones about opponents, according to three people familiar with the meeting.
Don’t miss interesting posts on Famousbio
