Joe Tacopina, a lawyer for former President Donald Trump, argued Wednesday that 'there was no scheme and there was no crime' committed in connection with hush money payments made before the 2016 presidential election.
of falsifying business records. New York prosecutors claim the scheme involved three payments made by Trump's allies to hide damaging stories: $30,000 to a former Trump Tower doorman who claimed to have evidence that Trump fathered a child out of wedlock; $150,000 to a former Playboy model who said she had an affair with Trump; and $130,000 to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who also alleged an affair.
Tacopina criticized the indictment, unsealed Tuesday as Trump appeared in court for his arraignment, calling it"very vanilla." He also questioned why Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg didn't list the underlying crimes the former president allegedly attempted to conceal by falsifying the business records, though Bragg was not required by law to do so.
According to the statement of facts, the payment records maintained by the Trump Organization were"false New York business records," as no retainer agreement existed, and Cohen was not being paid for legal services rendered in 2017.
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