Secret tape of Donald Trump ‘discussing $150,000 hush money payment to Playboy model Karen McDougal’ played at trial
A SECRET tape of Donald Trump allegedly talking about paying hush money to a Playboy Playmate was last night played at his trial in New York.
The former President says: “So, what do we got to pay for this? 150?’ in the recording made without his knowledge.”
On the tape, Mr Trump tells his former lawyer Michael Cohen that the money should be paid in cash.
Prosecutors claim this relates to the $150,000 paid to Karen McDougal weeks before the 2016 election to keep quiet about her affair with Mr Trump.
The court has heard that Mr Trump feared female voters would desert him if they learned about the relationship with Ms McDougal, which happened in 2006 while his wife Melania was pregnant with their son Barron.
Mr Trump, the presumptive Republican Presidential candidate, denies 34 counts of business fraud at the court in New York.
Prosecutors allege they were part of a scheme to “corrupt” the 2016 election by hiding his infidelity from voters including Ms McDougal and porn star Stormy Daniels.
The recording was secretly made on September 6th 2016 by Mr Cohen as he was in discussions with US tabloid the National Enquirer about buying up the rights to the story from Ms McDougal, who was Playboy Playmate of the Year in 1998.
Before speaking to Mr Cohen, Mr Trump can be heard talking to somebody called ‘Pam’.
He says: “Maybe it would be better if you didn’t come. Because of this. It’s so false what they’re saying. Such b****”.
It is unclear what Mr Trump is referring to.
Mr Cohen enters and says: “I need to open up a company for the transfer of all of that info regarding our friend, David, you know, so that — I’m going to do that right away”.
According to prosecutors, this was a company Mr Cohen was setting up to pay the $150,000 back to the Enquirer, which would pay Ms McDougal for her story.
In the end he never did pay the money.
The “our friend David” referred to David Pecker, who at the time was publisher of the Enquirer, it is claimed.
Mr Cohen continues: “I’ve spoken to Allen Weisselberg about how to set the whole thing up,” referring to the man who at the time was chief financial officer of The Trump Organization, Mr Trump’s real estate business.
Mr Trump replies: “So, what do we got to pay for this? 150?”
Mr Cohen replies: “Yes. And it’s all the stuff”.
HUSH MONEY ‘TAPE’
On the tape there is crosstalk between the two men and it is unclear who Mr Trump is referring to when he says: “Maybe he gets hit by a truck”.
Mr Cohen says: “Correct. So, I’m all over that. And, I spoke to Allen about it,when it comes time for the financing, which will be…”
Cutting in, Mr Trump says: “Listen, what financing?”
When Mr Cohen says they will “have to pay him something”, Mr Trump cuts in: “Pay with cash”.
To reassure him, Mr Cohen says: “No, no, no, no, no, I got it”.
PRISON THREAT
Mr Trump faces years in jail if found guilty.
He is also facing three other criminal trials with one, for election interference, set to start in August in Georgia.
Mr Trump denies all the charges.
Exhibits filed to the court included texts between Mr Cohen and Keith Davidson, the lawyer who represented Daniels.
She received a $130,000 payoff from Mr Cohen days before the 2016 election to keep quiet about having sex with Mr Trump.
In a message from January 2018, Mr Cohen wrote to Mr Davidson complaining about the title of Ms Daniels’ US tour.
He wrote: “And why did she do that Make America Horny Again tour…funny but bad timing”.
So, what do we got to pay for this? 150?
Donald Trump
Mr Trump’s 2016 campaign slogan was “Make America Great Again”.
The “bad timing” Mr Cohen referred to was that just over a week earlier, the Wall St Journal first reported the existence of the $130,000 payoff to Ms Daniels.
Mr Davidson replied that it was “scheduled months ago”.
He wrote: “The local strip club joint in South Carolina marketed it and names it.”
Judge Juan Merchan addressed Mr Trump at the start of the day and said he could testify.
A gag order barring him from making extrajudicial comments about the jury, witnesses and court staff did not preclude the former President from saying anything he wanted from the witness box, the judge said.
Judge Merchan appeared to be responding to Mr Trump’s comments the night before saying “I’m not allowed to testify”.