It’s not President Trump’s fault that Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to something that’s not a crime. And there is nothing wrong with the president paying hush money.
After all, it’s his money and not taxpayer money like Congress has done 260 times, shelling out $17 million dollars in settlements. If Congress tries to impeach Trump, then they should impeach every member of Congress that was bailed out by the taxpayers. But, campaign finance expert, Dan Backer says he is unimpressed by the charges against the president.
He notes that since the money came from Trump, there is no crime.
Meanwhile, an expert campaign finance lawyer said in an interview published Monday that he is not impressed with the Department of Justice’s evidence that effectively links Trump to campaign finance violations after the recent release of the Cohen sentencing memo.
Dan Backer, the lawyer, told Forbes that there appears to be no evidence to corroborate the DOJ’s apparent assertion of any illegality on Trump’s part.
Backer, a veteran campaign counsel, said it is common practice for high-profile individuals and companies to take part in these kinds of payment arrangements. He said Trump is a brand, he has carried out similar payments for years and these so-called “hush-buys” will likely continue.
“Brand protection is not a campaign contribution,” he told the magazine.
Prosecutors in New York, where Cohen pleaded guilty in August to campaign finance crimes in connection with those payments, wrote in the filing, “With respect to both payments, Cohen acted with the intent to influence the 2016 presidential election. Cohen coordinated his actions with one or more members of the campaign, including through meetings and phone calls, about the fact, nature, and timing of the payments. In particular, and as Cohen himself has now admitted, with respect to both payments, he acted in coordination with and at the direction of Individual-1.”