Trump's Check to Cohen Is a Giant Nothingburger (Again)

Last time I checked, it is illegal to blackmail someone. “Give me $100,000 and I won’t go to the press and tell them damaging and false things about you,” is allegedly what Stormy Daniels did. And instead of calling the police and risking her story going public, Donald Trump paid her off. This is not illegal. What Daniels did, is.

Why isn’t she on the stand right now being grilled about why she thought she could blackmail someone? Why isn’t she in handcuffs and having her personal records exposed for the world to see?

Michael Cohen’s testimony today before Congress is a farce. He’ll say anything at this point to stay out of prison. He’s a known liar — and Twitter is calling out his lies in real time.

Cohen: “I didn’t want to go to the White House.” LIAR. He complained to me on numerous occasions about the fact that POTUS didn’t offer him a job at the WH. #CohenTestimony

— Arthur Schwartz (@ArthurSchwartz) February 27, 2019

Cohen: “I didn’t want to go to the White House.” He was running around telling people that he was going to be chief of staff because he earned the job. #liar #CohenTestimony

— Arthur Schwartz (@ArthurSchwartz) February 27, 2019

https://twitter.com/McAllisterDen/status/1100796547204296705

This testimony is relying on hearsay, which would never be allowed in a court of law, but at this congressional show trial, it’s the order of the day. Democrats know this has no legal consequences, but are attempting to convict Trump in the eyes of the public using unfair, non-legal means. Putting Cohen on television to make wild accusations only serves to smear the president rather than achieve a legal outcome.

"Mr Trump is a racist" – ex-lawyer Michael Cohen tells Congress Donald Trump "told me that 'black people would never vote for me because they were too stupid'"#CohenTestimony latest: https://t.co/3J9nebR2wm pic.twitter.com/wfEXU3CqYT

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 27, 2019

https://twitter.com/McAllisterDen/status/1100801517064470528

How did Stormy Daniels avoid arrest and prosecution on blackmail charges? I really don’t understand this. The only person who appears to have committed an actual crime, and admitted it, in this whole melodrama is her! Paying off nasty women bent on destroying you isn’t a crime. There are no “hush money” laws. It is illegal to demand hush money from others but not illegal to pay it. Nevertheless, Democrats are going to continue to try to take Trump down by any means and at any cost.

If Democratic leaders had to choose between complete, verifiable North Korean de-nuclearization on the one hand, and @realDonaldTrump going down because of the payoff to #StormyDaniels on the other, is there any doubt which they would choose? None.

— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) February 26, 2019

Here’s a guy who was arrested for blackmailing a woman by demanding money in exchange for not releasing embarrassing photographs.

Here’s another guy who was arrested and charged with third-degree extortion for doing the exact same thing Stormy Daniels did.

View this post on Instagram

On December 17, 2018 Jenni L. Farley reported to the Toms River Police Department that an ex-boyfriend, Thomas Lippolis, had attempted to extort $25,000 from her in exchange for not divulging secrets to the media about Farley.  This information had been given to Farley through her publicist who had initially received a phone call from Lippolis demanding the money.  Farley and Lippolis had dated for close to a year approximately ten years ago.  On December 19, 2018 Toms River Detectives Tom Grosse and Jon Turner initiated an investigation into these allegations.  On December 19, 2018 Detective Grosse arrested Lippolis and subsequently charged him with 3rd Degree Extortion. The media and the public are reminded that criminal charges are accusations only.  Every criminal defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

A post shared by Toms River Police Department (@tomsriverpolice) on Dec 19, 2018 at 11:06am PST

The definition from the legal dictionary of blackmail is:

The crime of threatening to reveal embarrassing, disgraceful or damaging facts (or rumors) about a person to the public, family, spouse or associates unless paid off to not carry out the threat. It is one form of extortion (which may include other threats such as physical harm or damage to property).

Extortion is: “The obtaining of property from another induced by wrongful use of actual or threatened force, violence, or fear, under color of official right.”

How does Stormy Daniels get to threaten a man through fear of ruining his reputation, demanding money for her silence, and be walking around free and clear? She, and she alone, has clearly committed a crime. Those check stubs should be evidence in her trial, not Donald Trump’s.

This whole thing is political theater and more indication that we will have no justice. Any Republican or conservative in this country can have criminal action taken against them and no one will pay the price while the Democrats break every law on the books and never face a judge. Hillary Clinton can have an illegal server that led to the Chinese accessing classified documents and Jeffrey Epstein can rape little girls and they will never face justice.

This system cannot continue to stand. When will the breaking point happen? Americans cannot allow this vast injustice to continue unanswered. The law must be applied equally across party lines or there is no law and only chaos. Arrest and prosecute Stormy Daniels.