The ongoing criminal trial of former US president Donald Trump at New York in the alleged $1,30,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels has casted a shadow over his prospects of presidential elections in 2024.
On Tuesday, former lawyer and fixer of Trump, Michael Cohen has testified against him in the court stating that Trump had actually instructed him to pay the hush money to the porn-star Stormy Daniels to silence her from disclosing material content of his sex scandal to media during 2016 elections.
Cohen also agreed in court that he got reimbursement of this amount from Trump organization that he had paid to the porn star on behalf of Trump.
Perhaps Donald Trump is experiencing the ‘BrutusYouToo’ moment of Roman General Julius Ceaser after witnessing his most trusted former employee and lawyer Cohen testifying against him in the court recently.
The alleged involvement of former US President in sex scandal with a porn-star reveals his sloppy side as a person. One may however argue as to the fact that marriage, love, relationships and affairs are issues quintessentially concerning intimate personal life of an individual. There is a demarcation between personal life of Trump as a human being (person) and public life of Trump as a President of USA at Oval office. But as the saying goes, ‘personal is political’ when it’s in the arsenal of opposition camp, Trump therefore seems to be bearing the brunt of these charges.
These are not the maiden allegations of extra-marital love affairs, sex scandals and rendezvous excursions of US presidents. Prior to this, former US President John Keneddy’s alleged extra-marital affair with actress Marlyn Monroe had raised eyebrows of many. Bill Clinton’s alleged sexual encounters with his White House Office intern Monika Lewensky had also costed him impeachment proceedings.
So what’s so different about this alleged sex scandal of Trump with Porn Star Stormy Daniels. Donald Trump’s fixer and former attorney Cohen has also stated on record in the court that after Trump reimbursed him this $1,30,000 amount , he recorded this repayment in office accounts as ordinary legal charges post assuming office as a president. This is a catch for the Manhatten prosecutors. In this Alvin Bragg’s case against him, Trump is also accused of felony charges of falsifying business records.
Lord Acton has aptly remarked, ‘Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.’ These allegations of financial irregularities in office malign Trump’s integrity and ethics as a former officiating president of world’s mightiest democracy.
What angers me is not only the moral degeneration of US presidential administration at the hands of presidents like Trump, but also the ‘Catch and Kill’ and ‘Pay and get Mr. clean ’ work-culture breeding in US media. David Pecker of National Inquirer had allegedly aided Trump for concealing this sex scandal as a henchman. When you have loads of money, the whole world seems to be busy in upholding you as a ‘great person.’ One can barter his notoriety with money, it seems.
Michael Cohen as former lawyer and fixer of Trump has a dubious distinction of being a pathological liar- lawyer who is also been a convicted offender of federal charges before this. His testimonies in court could however be blown to
Smithereens by Trump’s counsel Todd Blanche during cross-examination.
Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen is a blot of disgrace in legal profession for he is disclosing privilege communication of a lawyer and his client in an open court only to settle his political scores.
What fascinates US society is the credentials of Porn Star Stormy Daniels who wakes up one fine morning and peddles objectionable material content of sex scandal of US president for money. She then barters her silence for $1, 30,000.
This entire episode seems a political quagmire that is laid in run up to US presidential elections of November 2024. Only conclusion of this hush money
trial will tell how devastating and detrimental this political storm is for Donald Trump. Justice Juan Merchan who has already once convicted Trump organization before this is presiding over the case.
(Writer is an avid Legal Researcher with a law background & a Public Speaker)
