A letter purported to be from Michael Cohen's attorney says that Cohen acted alone when he paid Stormy Daniels in 2016 - a revelation which could undercut Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's case against Donald Trump.
"In a private transaction in 2016, before the U.S. presidential election, Mr. Cohen used his own personal funds to facilitate a payment of $130,000 to Ms. Stephanie Clifford [Stormy Daniels]," reads the 2018 letter from Cohen attorney Stephen Ryan to the Federal Election Commission, which asserts that Trump was not involved in the hush payment to the former porn star.
Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson
🚨BREAKING: New Bombshell Document DESTROYS Manhattan DA’s Case Against Trump
2018 Letter from Michael Cohen’s lawyer to the FEC declares Cohen used his own personal funds to pay Stormy Daniels. Trump Camp. NOT party to transaction, did NOT reimburse Cohen for payment. It’s OVER
"Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms. Clifford, and neither reimbursed Mr. Cohen for the payment directly or indirectly."
Trump posted the letter on Truth Social on Wednesday evening, saying "Wow, look what was just found—A Letter from Cohen’s Lawyer to the Federal Election Commission," adding "This is totally exculpatory, and must end the Manhattan District Attorney's Witch Hunt, immediately."
"Cohen admits that he did it himself. The D.A. should get on with prosecuting violent criminals, so people can walk down the sidewalks of New York without being murdered!"
As Just the News notes,
If authentic, the document could indeed be exculpatory for Trump. A potential charge legal experts have floated hinges on Trump falsifying his business records to hide a potential campaign finance violation.
Trump's alleged falsification stems from his listing of a payment to Cohen as a legal fee, which some have suggested was a reimbursement for Cohen's payment to Daniels. Trump's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, denies the record's inaccuracy and has contended that "[t]he payments were made to a lawyer, not to Stormy Daniels. The payments were made to Donald Trump's lawyer, which would be considered legal fees."