Trump campaign has paid portions of Michael Cohen's legal fees

[Mrs. Overall]

Source: ABC

The Trump campaign has spent nearly $228,000 to cover some of the legal expenses for President Donald Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen, sources familiar with the payments tell ABC News, raising questions about whether the Trump campaign may have violated campaign finance laws.

Federal Election Commission records show three payments made from the Trump campaign to a firm representing Cohen. The “legal consulting” payments were made to McDermott Will and Emery — a law firm where Cohen's attorney Stephen Ryan is a partner — between October 2017 and January 2018.

Cohen has said that he did not have a formal role in the Trump campaign, and it is illegal to spend campaign funds for personal use – defined by the FEC as payments for expenses “that would exist irrespective of the candidate’s campaign or responsibilities as a federal officeholder.”

"They're on shaky legal ground," said Stephen Spaulding, chief of strategy at the nonprofit watchdog group Common Cause. "It sounds like they are really pushing the envelope … If the campaign were to say they are campaign-related payments, then maybe it's okay to use campaign funds. But he can't have it both ways."

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-campaign-paid-portions-michael-cohens-legal-fees/story?id=54831269

[Gothmog]

1. Who is surprised by this?

[Eliot Rosewater]

2. If this was a democratic president campaign doing this the entire media and

federal government would be brought to a screeching halt, immediately.

NOTHING would be allowed to go forward until major penalties were handed out and multiple resignations were in hand.

And this before lunch on Monday, by the end of the week there will be at least 25 more crimes committed that will be ignored.

[C Moon]

6. +1000

[Vinca]

3. You'd think his donors would be upset about paying porn stars and criminals.

[PSPS]

5. Hardly. It's a pittance to get their cut of the loot (federal treasury.) "Cost of doing business."

[mpcamb]

15. " You'd think his donors would be upset about paying porn stars and criminals." Campaign Issue!!

It would make sense to rub the average donor's face in having their money mixed with porn star payoffs and bag men and consigliere salaries.
Some- not all- would hate it, revile it, and be the cross-over voters we'll need.

[George II]

4. All this comingling of funds are violations of Federal election laws.

[pnwmom]

7. Ha! The Mueller team has already said the Cohen case isn't part of the Russia investigation.

That's why they referred it to the SDNY, which accepted it.

Which means the campaign cannot pay for it, legally, anymore than it can pay for the Stormy Daniels matter.

Legal experts told ABC News that if the payments referenced in the FEC filings are related to the Russia investigation, they likely wouldn't violate campaign finance law, as the investigation is related to the 2016 presidential campaign. If the payments are related to the Stormy Daniels matter, however, the campaign could have a problem.

[.99center]

8. Trumpsters paid for a pornstar

And all they got was a lousy hat. Maybe Stormy can give them free admission to her show? It's the least she can do for the 130k they gave her.

[docgee]

9. Michelle Wolf is right - Trump is broke!

[riversedge]

12. Perhaps, but more likely Trump is just cheap--has others pay his bills.

[docgee]

13. And risk breaking campaign finance laws?

Well, he is stupid and arrogant too, so maybe you're right.

[CanonRay]

10. Cohen never listed the Trump campaign as a client.

so why are they paying him fees?

[riversedge]

11. BOOM!!!!!!!

Kyle Griffin
?Verified account @kylegriffin1
1h1 hour ago

The Trump campaign has spent nearly $228,000 to cover some of the legal expenses for Michael Cohen, sources familiar with the payments tell ABC News.

Link to tweet

Barbara James
? @barbjames60
Replying to @kylegriffin1 @damonbethea1

BOOM!!!!!!!
2:43 PM - 30 Apr 2018

[Nash Teeth]

14. Amateur mistake. I suppose a resignation will come

before 2020.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

16. Another twist in this saga...possibility of witness tampering

See: https://www.rawstory.com/2018/04/trump-campaigns-228000-payments-michael-cohen-witness-tampering-ex-white-house-ethics-chief/#.WudyvujMoSk.twitter

(snips)
Norm Eisen, who served as the White House ethics chief under former President Barack Obama, writes on Twitter that these payments “could be illegal… on so many levels.”

“Is it repayment for $130k hush money that Cohen paid [to adult film star Stormy Daniels]?” he asked. “If so, campaign finance law issues. Equally troubling: Together with the Trump calls, it raises possibility of witness tampering. Risky biz!”

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