The Legal Battle Over Hush Money Payments and Their Purpose
The indictment of former President Donald Trump by Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, is expected to reveal whether a hush-money payment can constitute a crime if made to protect a political candidate. The charges against Trump are still unknown, but are expected to consist of more than two dozen counts, some of them charging him with falsifying business records in reimbursing Michael Cohen for the hush money paid to Stormy Daniels. The case will likely hinge on whether the hush money was paid in the service of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign or for personal reasons.