Payoffs for silence went on for years, court told

Donald Trump illegally enacted a ‘catch and kill’ scheme to snuff out damaging news about his affairs as far back as August 2015.

Stormy Daniels, left, and Karen McDougal. Pictures: AFP

Donald Trump illegally enacted a “catch and kill” scheme to snuff out damaging information about his past affairs as far back as August 2015, according to a statement of facts released by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST).

The 13-page document alleged Mr Trump, his former lawyer Michael Cohen and David Pecker, chairman of American Media Inc – publisher of National Enquirer magazine – worked together to pay not only pornstar Stormy Daniels, but also former Playboy bunny Karen McDougal and a doorman at Trump Tower, Dinoo Sujadin, to keep them quiet.

“From August 2015 to December 2017, the defendant orchestrated a scheme with others to influence the 2016 presidential election by identifying and purchasing negative information about him to suppress its publication and benefit the defendant’s electoral prospects,” it read.

“The participants violated election laws and made and caused false entries in the business records of various entities in New York. The participants also took steps that mischaracterised, for tax purposes, the true nature of the payments made in furtherance of the scheme.”

The statement said that Mr Trump met Mr Pecker at Trump Tower in August 2015, soon after announced his run for presidency.

“The AMI CEO agreed to help with the defendant’s campaign, saying that he would act as the ‘eyes and ears’ for the campaign by looking out for negative stories about the defendant,” it said.

“A few months later, in or about October or November 2015, the AMI CEO learned that a former Trump Tower doorman was trying to sell information regarding a child that the defendant had allegedly fathered out of wedlock”.

AMI paid the doorman, whose story AMI ultimately found out to be false, US$30,000 ($44,000) to keep quiet.

Then in June 2016 AMI allegedly paid US$150,000 to a “woman 1” – reportedly McDougal – who claimed to have had an affair with Mr Trump while he was married.

“The defendant asked, ‘So what do we got to pay for this? One fifty?’ and suggested paying by cash,” the statement read.

As has been reported, in October 2016 Mr Cohen paid Daniels US$130,000 in hush money to ensure she would not retail her claim to have had an affair with Mr Trump in 2006.

“The defendant did not want to make the $130,000 payment himself, and asked lawyer A and the Trump Organisation CFO to find a way to make the payment” the statement said, on the understanding “the defendant would pay him back”

All these payments entailed “repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election”.

“Each cheque was processed by the Trump Organisaation, and each cheque was disguised as a payment for legal services rendered in a given month of 2017 pursuant to a retainer agreement,” the statement said.

Mr Trump ultimately paid Cohen US$420,000 in monthly instalments throughout 2017 – including an “end of year bonus of US$60,000” – to compensate him for his efforts and any income tax his lawyer was liable for.

“Between election day and inauguration day … the defendant met with the AMI CEO privately in Trump Tower in Manhattan. The defendant thanked the AMI CEO for handling the stories of the doorman and woman 1, and invited the AMI CEO to the inauguration,” the statement read.