Cohen Secretly Taped Trump About Payments to Playboy Model
*By Alisha Haridasani*
President Trump’s personal attorney, Michael Cohen, secretly recorded a discussion back in 2016 with the then-candidate about payments to a former Playboy model who claims she had an affair with Trump, according to a [New York Times report](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/20/us/politics/michael-cohen-trump-tape.html?action=Click&contentCollection=BreakingNews&contentID=67348559&pgtype=Homepage).
Siraj Hashmi, commentary writer at the Washington Examiner, said he thinks the story was planted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team.
“Undoubtedly, this information most likely came from Mueller’s team,” Hashmi told Cheddar. “The Mueller team is looking into everything: they’re looking into Stormy Daniels, they’re looking into Michael Cohen, they’re looking into Karen McDougal, you know, anything that they could have on Donald Trump."
The recording was allegedly created two months before the presidential election and was seized in April when the FBI raided Cohen’s Manhattan office. The model, Karen McDougal, alleges her relationship with Trump started in 2006. In the final months of the presidential campaign, McDougal sold her story to the National Enquirer for $150,000, but the paper never published the story. David Pecker, chairman of the publication's parent company, is a close ally of Trump.
Trump’s new personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, confirmed the contents of the tape and that the president didn’t know he was being recorded. He also said the recordings show that Trump didn’t know about the National Enquirer’s payments to McDougal.
“Nothing in that conversation suggests that he had any knowledge of it in advance,” Giuliani told the New York Times.
The Justice Department is investigating whether Cohen’s payments to silence women claiming relationships with Trumpーmost prominently adult film actress Stormy Danielsーviolated campaign finance laws. They are also investigating whether Cohen had a hand in the deal between McDougal and the National Enquirer that effectively silenced her.
The tape highlights how important Cohen is not just for the federal investigation into campaign finance but also for Mueller’s investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia. Cohen has long been Trump’s trusted fixer who got front row access to all of the president’s sensitive dealings.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/former-trump-lawyer-reportedly-recorded-conversations-about-paying-playboy-model).
Liana Guzmán, CEO of FOLX Health, joins Cheddar News to discuss the company launching billboards across the country in response to anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
President Biden has announced an additional $800 million in military assistance to Ukraine, including artillery, armored personnel carriers, and helicopters. It comes as Russian forces appear to be preparing for a new, aggressive offensive in the eastern part of Ukraine. Paul McLeary, defense reporter for Politico, joined Cheddar to discuss this new round of aid and what it means for the U.S. commitment to arming the embattled country.
Catching you up on what you need to know on April 18, 2022, with Russian missile attacks on the Ukrainian city of Lviv killing seven, mass shootings in South Carolina and Pittsburgh, Lucky Charms cereal under official investigation by the FDA, and more.
Activism is growing around the country in response to school boards banning books from shelves that focus on sexuality, gender, identity, or race. Jen Cousins, co-founder of The Florida Freedom to Read Project, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine intensifies, President Biden has announced a ban on importing Russian oil, gas, and energy. To discuss how this ban will impact the war and Americans, Amir Handjani, non-resident fellow at Quincy Institute, joins Cheddar News.
Thousands of protesters around the world are expressing their solidarity with Ukraine against Russia's invasion.
Jason Beardsley, national executive director of the Association of the U.S. Navy and national security expert, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
As gas prices surge amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, other nations could potentially transition faster to using clean energy than previously expected. Philip K. Verleger, a senior fellow at the Niskanen Center, joined Cheddar News to explain how this could be a possibility in the near future. "Part of the reason I think we have this invasion and the tantrum that's being thrown by Russia, terrible tantrum, is because the Russians were trying to slow down the transition," he said. "Ironically they speeded it up."
Following the invasion of Ukraine, a multitude of Western companies have paused doing business with Russia. PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, and Starbucks are the most recent companies to temporarily cease operations in Russia. Dean of Miami Herbert Business School at the University of Miami, John Quelch, joined Cheddar News to discuss what message this sends to Russia and the Russian consumer. “I would not underestimate the collective strength of all of these multinational companies, essentially coming together to make their collective statement in support of the political statements that have come out of Washington," he said.
The war in Ukraine continues to reveal heartbreaking gut-wrenching stories. The war in itself is not only devastating but also expensive. Experts estimate that Russia is draining nearly $20 million dollars each day to continue occupying and invading Ukraine. All this could force the country to turn to cryptocurrencies. It's a major turn for the country that briefly considered outlined digital assets entirely, but it could also have serious implications for cryptos. Managing Director at Quantum Fintech Group, Harry Yeh, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
