By Bay Dotson
If you turn on any cable news network, check the news app on your phone, or walk past a newstand, you will likely see the names Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen more than a few times. There is already a Wikipedia page titled “Stormy Daniels-Donald Trump Scandal.” The story has persistently followed Trump since it broke in January, and is becoming increasingly relevant to the special counsel investigation as new details are uncovered.
Here’s a brief look at the Stormy Daniels scandal:
In 2006, the adult film actress Stephanie Clifford (stage name Stormy Daniels) had an affair with Donald Trump. At the time, Trump was just a wealthy Manhattan real estate mogul and was married to his current and third wife, Melania.
On October 27th, 2016, less than two weeks before the election, Stormy Daniels was paid $130,000 by Michael Cohen after signing an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) about the affair. Michael Cohen was, until recent weeks, Trump’s longtime personal attorney and “fixer.”
In January of 2018, the Wall Street Journal broke the story to the public, calling Cohen’s payment “hush money,” and suggesting that the payment was intended to secure Daniels’ silence on the affair at a crucial moment in Trump’s campaign.
Later in January, a government watchdog raised a red flag around the payment, expressing concern that it might point to misuse of campaign funds because the money was paid by Cohen during the campaign.
In February, Cohen admitted that the payment existed, and confirmed that it had been his own money used, not Trump’s.
On March 6th, Daniels sued Trump and Cohen, claiming that the NDA was invalid because it had only been signed by herself and Cohen, but not Trump.
In a March 25th 60 Minutes interview, Daniels reiterated that she and Trump had intercourse once in 2006, and that she and her daughter had been threatened by people who worked for him to stay silent.
On April 9th, FBI agents raided the Rockefeller Center office of Michael Cohen, seizing documents and electronics relevant to a case in the Southern New York district unrelated to Robert Mueller’s investigation.
On May 2nd, Trump’s new attorney, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, appeared on Hannity, shocking the host and America with a new story: “The president repaid it.” Giuliani asserts that the president reimbursed Cohen for the $130,000 in monthly payments, and that there was no misuse of campaign funds. This directly contradicts the narrative told by the White House, which claims that Trump knew nothing about the payment.
Later that week, both Trump and White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders denounced Giuliani’s claim. Trump assured reporters that Giuliani is “new” to the team, and will “get his facts straight.”
What we can say for sure is that Trump and Daniels had an affair, Daniels was paid money to stay silent about the affair, and that Trump was aware that she had been paid. The rest is still uncertain.