Ed OReilly
Judd Legum1. Trump has been indicted.
Some will snidely dismiss this as a "bookkeeping" matter unworthy of the first criminal indictment of a former president.
This is wrong
Stormy Daniels matters
Follow along if interested
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2. At their heart, presidential elections are relatively simple
Voters learn things about each candidate and then use that info to select their choice -- or decide whether to vote at all
Trump's secret $130,000 payment to Daniels was an effort to subvert the democratic process
3. A campaign is a process of shaping the information environment through ads, events, policy announcements, and other activities
But there are basic rules
The underlying principle is transparency — voters have a right to know what you are saying & doing to get elected
4. If you spend money to benefit your campaign, it must be publicly reported
If you run an ad, you must disclose you paid for it
Trump was indicted because prosecutors believe he VIOLATED THE LAW TO HIDE RELEVANT INFO FROM VOTERS
Why Stormy Daniels matters
On Saturday morning, Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he "WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK." Trump's comments came after widespread reports that Manhattan District Alvin L. Bragg (D) was closing in on an indictment connected to Trump's $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, a former adult film star who says she had an affair with Trump. Later, a Trump spokesman clarified that Trump had no "
5. Trump, in a statement released by his 2024 campaign, now says that he was a "victim of an extortion plot, yet he is the one being prosecuted."
This is not what happened.
6. Daniels sought to sell the story about her alleged relationship w/Trump beginning in 2011
Daniels gave Life & Style an extensive interview in exchange for $15,000
That would be the end of it, but Trump bullied Life & Style into killing the story with legal threats
7. Prior to the 2016 election, Trump conspired with Michael Cohen and executives at the National Enquirer to "catch-and-kill" any negative stories about Trump
8. Daniels' story became more valuable after the release of the Access Hollywood tape put sexual mores were now at the center of a closely contested campaign
Trump's ability to win the election hinged largely on Trump changing the subject before Election Day
9. Per the "catch-and-kill" agreement, the National Enquirer negotiated to pay Daniels $120,000 to keep her story out of the press in the days before the election
But the tabloid had recently paid 150K to another woman to protect Trump and its publisher, David Pecker, balked
10. Cohen conferred with Trump, and they decided to make the payoff themselves. So Cohen reached an agreement to pay Daniels 130K for her silence.
But he had no idea where to get the money.
So he delayed and delayed and delayed
11. On October 25, 2016, two weeks before Election Day, Daniels' attorney told Cohen that he was canceling the deal and Daniels would shop her story to media outlets
This was dire
Daniels' story would go public AND she could also reveal Trump's botched pay-off effort
12. Had the truth emerged in October 2016, it could have played a decisive role in an election determined by about 70,000 votes across a handful of states
Instead, Cohen drew down 130K from a home equity credit line & transferred it to a shell company which paid Daniels' lawyer
13. There was a great deal of effort to obscure Trump's involvement with the payment. In the non-disclosure agreement itself, Trump was referred to by a pseudonym, David Dennison (DD). A separate side agreement identified Dennison as Trump.
Why Stormy Daniels matters
On Saturday morning, Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he "WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK." Trump's comments came after widespread reports that Manhattan District Alvin L. Bragg (D) was closing in on an indictment connected to Trump's $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, a former adult film star who says she had an affair with Trump. Later, a Trump spokesman clarified that Trump had no "
14. A few days later, Trump won the presidency.
Trump and Cohen then conspired to hide the reimbursement for Cohen's payment to Daniels.
Cohen submitted fake invoices to the Trump Organization.
Trump himself signed the checks.
15. On April 5, 2018, Trump was asked if he knew anything about the payments from Cohen to Daniels. He claimed he knew nothing.
16. Now, it's up to Bragg's office to prove that this scheme was a violation of New York law.
We do not yet know the details of the charges or how Bragg will make his case
But Trump's conduct was not unmeaningful, and efforts to hold him legally accountable are not outrageous.
17. Trump schemed to conceal relevant information from the voting public in the days before the election, engaged in an elaborate coverup, and then lied about his involvement.
This deceit may have changed the course of history.
Why Stormy Daniels matters
On Saturday morning, Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he "WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK." Trump's comments came after widespread reports that Manhattan District Alvin L. Bragg (D) was closing in on an indictment connected to Trump's $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, a former adult film star who says she had an affair with Trump. Later, a Trump spokesman clarified that Trump had no "
18. Thank you for making it to the end of this thread.
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DamnKimberlee@juddlegum I recommend Popular Information to EVERYONE!
Elizabeth Winter@juddlegum Trump is now claiming he never f**ked Stormy. But she's described his penis, so maybe he'll have to show it. Looking forward to a gag order.
Full Metal Accountant
Cat West@EWinterNM @juddlegum If that’s the case, I guarantee there will be gagging.
Dani 🍁@juddlegum Thank you for this thread. Really appreciate it.
Voron@juddlegum information from legal beagles is flooding out. It seems that falsifying business documents is a misdemeanor in New York, however you can’t convene a grand jury for a misdemeanor. If, however you falsified a business document in because of another crime I.e. election fraud campaign finance etc then it becomes a felony.
If that’s is the case, it could make it hard to get a conviction for various reasons.
If that’s is the case, it could make it hard to get a conviction for various reasons.
Kalin@juddlegum this is actually quite good. It’s annoying to listen how this is bad for democrats and how it will be spun by Trump. Who cares? It’s about democracy and rule of law. If he is innocent, he will be acquitted. If guilty, he will be treated as any other US citizen.
Lilyshome@juddlegum Never underestimate the Power of a Woman no matter what her occupation.
brickbat@juddlegum I'm still pissed at Comey for blowing the election cause he hated Hillary. Ruined our nation for all times.
Arena Cops 🇺🇦✌@juddlegum America's #RuleOfLaw can & must do better than holding a lifelong career criminal accountable for false declaration of hush money payments to an adorable porn star more patriotic than the number 45 in undeserved Oval Office!
#RuleOfLaw #AccountabilityNow #JusticeMatters #CareerCriminals #CareerFraudsters
@pineywoozle ‘s #3WordNote@juddlegum just a tiny bit of consciousness of guilt lol
toxtethogrady@juddlegum Dude gaslights on everything. He's no victim. But Michael Cohen was.
Jake 
@toxtethogrady
Oh fuck that, Cohen knew what he was doing. Anyone lawyering for Trump knows what they're getting into. They think they can step in shit and not carry around a stink.
@juddlegum
Oh fuck that, Cohen knew what he was doing. Anyone lawyering for Trump knows what they're getting into. They think they can step in shit and not carry around a stink.
@juddlegum
@affekt @juddlegum Surprisingly, the one guy who got it right was Joe Tacopina, who noted that Trump did not write the check himself because "you can't say on the business ledger that it was a payment for sex..."
PixelJones@affekt @toxtethogrady @juddlegum
True & Cohen admits now that he was culpable & deserved what he got ... just not being the fall guy for the real culprit.
True & Cohen admits now that he was culpable & deserved what he got ... just not being the fall guy for the real culprit.
FallsMom 🌻@juddlegum Let's hope this is the terminal season of Succession Mar A Lago Edition
Pat@juddlegum Thanks for recapping the details. I had forgotten how sordid and underhanded this incidents was, including the you-cannot-make-this-up name of Mr. Pecker
Melissamc1@juddlegum IMHO it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Hopefully other prosecutors will be galvanized by this development to indict Trump on other charges.
ራስ ባሪያው Rass Bariaw@juddlegum Al Capone was sent to jail for violating tax laws, not murder.
ninavizz@juddlegum Mail Fraud was the least of Al Capone's sins, as well—and yet was the only one he could be neatly prosecuted on. We'll take what we can!
PirateRo@juddlegum deeelightful! I look forward to the conviction!
Kenneth John Bardsley@juddlegum
LOCK HIM UP !
LOCK HIM UP !