Former US President Donald Trump has been charged with multiple felony counts in a shocking indictment that sheds new light on his involvement in hush money payments during his presidency. The unsealed charges, which amount to 34 counts, are the culmination of an ongoing investigation into alleged campaign finance violations.
According to court documents, Trump was accused of orchestrating a scheme to pay hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal in exchange for their silence about alleged extramarital affairs with him. The payments were reportedly made through a network of shell companies and intermediaries linked to Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen.
The indictment alleges that Trump was aware of the arrangements and directed his associates to facilitate the payments, which totaled over $500,000. The charges also accuse Trump of violating campaign finance laws by using funds from his re-election campaign to pay for the hush money settlements.
In a statement released in conjunction with the unsealing of the indictment, Trump maintained his innocence and claimed that he was "vindicated" by the charges. However, his lawyers have vowed to defend him vigorously against all allegations.
According to court documents, Trump was accused of orchestrating a scheme to pay hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal in exchange for their silence about alleged extramarital affairs with him. The payments were reportedly made through a network of shell companies and intermediaries linked to Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen.
The indictment alleges that Trump was aware of the arrangements and directed his associates to facilitate the payments, which totaled over $500,000. The charges also accuse Trump of violating campaign finance laws by using funds from his re-election campaign to pay for the hush money settlements.
In a statement released in conjunction with the unsealing of the indictment, Trump maintained his innocence and claimed that he was "vindicated" by the charges. However, his lawyers have vowed to defend him vigorously against all allegations.