Donald Trump, former US president, has been indicted in a crime over allegations that he made payments to an adult actress during his 2016 presidential campaign. The case pertains to a meeting between Trump and Stormy Daniels, an ex-porn star, at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe.
Most of the details of this encounter were revealed by Ms Daniels in her tell-all book “Full Disclosure”. She claims that she had sex with Mr Trump, a charge vehemently denied by the Republican leader.
2006 Meeting At Nevada Golf Course
A picture taken at the time shows Donald Trump and Stormy Daniels posing together at a porn studio booth. Ms Daniels was then working as a “greeter” at this studio. Ms Daniels was 27 at the time and Mr Trump 60.
In the photo, Mr Trump is wearing a red hat, yellow polo shirt, and khaki pants. Ms Daniels, wearing a tight-fitting black top, is standing next to him.
Four months before the meeting with Ms Daniels, Donald Trump’s wife, Melania, had given birth to their son Barron.
Ms Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, claims that one of Mr Trump’s bodyguards had asked her to visit his penthouse at the golf course. Describing the encounter, she wrote that “it may have been the least impressive sex I’d ever had”. In her book, she also includes an unflattering description of Mr Trump’s anatomy.
Hush Money Payments
When Donald Trump was going around the nation mustering support for his presidential campaign in 2016, a tabloid newspaper discovered that Ms Daniels is looking to sell the story about her encounter with the Republican nominee.
The National Enquirer, owned by a Trump ally, put Ms Daniels in touch with Michael Cohen. Mr Cohen was Donald Trump’s lawyer then and was known to “fix” issues that could be politically damaging.
Michael Cohen, who has since turned against Mr Trump, has acknowledged arranging a $130,000 “hush money” payment to Ms Daniels in exchange for her silence about the 2006 tryst.
Stormy Daniels and Donald Trump — under the respective pseudonyms Peggy Peterson and David Dennison — were the parties to a nondisclosure agreement prepared by Cohen that has emerged in court filings.
Mr Trump has denied that he ever had sex with Stormy Daniels or paid her hush money during his presidential campaign
But a New York jury today determined there was enough evidence to proceed with a case against Mr Trump. He is expected to be presented in court as early as Tuesday, according to his defense attorney.
