2016 ELECTION/ETHICS/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A government-watchdog group filed complaints Monday with the Federal Election Commission and the Justice Department asking the agencies to investigate a $130,000 payment arranged by President Donald Trump’s lawyer to a former adult-film star before the 2016 presidential election.
Common Cause, based in Washington, D.C., said the payment, revealed in a Wall Street Journal report earlier this month, may have violated reporting requirements and exceeded contribution limits under the Federal Election Campaign Act.
The group asked the Justice Department to investigate whether President Trump may have violated a criminal law against making a false statement to the FEC by omitting the transaction from campaign filings.
The Journal reported that lawyer Michael Cohen arranged for the payment to Stephanie Clifford in return for signing a nondisclosure agreement that prevented her from publicly discussing an alleged sexual encounter with Mr. Trump, citing people familiar with the matter…
Mr. Cohen hasn’t addressed the $130,000 payment, but he and the White House have denied any encounter between Mr. Trump and Ms. Clifford. Mr. Cohen also released a statement by email signed by ‘Stormy Daniels’—Ms. Clifford’s stage name—denying that she had a ‘sexual and/or romantic affair’ with Mr. Trump or had received ‘hush money’ from him. On Saturday, at a public appearance in Greenville, S.C., Ms. Clifford declined to discuss the statement provided by Mr. Cohen or the agreement.
The White House and Ms. Clifford didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.”
-Michael Rothfeld and Joe Palazzolo, “Group Asks FEC, DOJ to Investigate Trump Lawyer’s Payment to Adult-Film Star,” The Wall Street Journal online, Jan. 22, 2018 06:25pm