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).
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.
President Biden announced a ban on Russian oil and natural gas imports to the U.S. in response to its invasion of Ukraine, a move he warned could lead to an even greater surge in gas prices. The ban is prompting a conversation about the current oil production levels in the U.S. and whether or not the industry can ramp up production to soften the blow to American families at the gas pump. Clark Williams-Derry, Energy Finance Analyst with the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, breaks down the state of the U.S. oil industry and how the ban might impact production levels here at home.
PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Starbucks are the latest American food brands to have halted business operations in Russia after having faced scrutiny and criticism for originally failing to do so amid the country's invasion of Ukraine.
As Russia intensifies its war on Ukraine, President Biden announced a ban on oil imported from the aggressor nation. Critics of Russia have said this would be the best way to force Putin to pull back, but curbs on Russian oil exports are expected to send already skyrocketing oil and gas prices even higher, further impacting consumers, businesses, financial markets, and the global economy. Leslie Beyer, CEO of the Energy Workforce and Technology Council, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss. "It's certainly going to increase pricing, but it is the right thing to do," she said. "The industry itself has already pulled out of the significant portion of its operations in Russia."
Sports Betting in the U.S. is booming. According to industry experts, we could see another boom this year as more states move towards statewide legalization of sports wagering. While this comes as huge news for fans, there are some very real concerns as to whether or not sports betting potentially poses a threat to public health. Senior Clinician at the Caron Treatment Centers, Eric Webber, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
The Biden administration has made gender policy a core part of how it governs. The president established the first Gender Policy Council. It's on the same level as the National Security Council, Domestic Policy Council and National Economic Council, putting the interests of women and other underserved groups at the table for the most important policy discussions.
Cheddar News sat down with Jennifer Klein, executive director and co-chair of the White House Gender Policy Council, to discuss the council's work and its significance during Women's History Month.
State Representative Jessica González, Vice Chair of the Texas House LGBTQ Caucus, joins Cheddar News to discuss the latest Texas anti-transgender directive.
The United States Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack joins None of the Above to discuss the newly emerging conflict in Europe, what it means for agriculture in the states, dairy and meat consumption, and how the department is planning to promote climate-smart agriculture.
