Posted on 12/19/2018 9:56:31 AM PST by TangledUpInBlue
I get it. One-time Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards was once accused of campaign finance violations arising from hush payments to a mistress, but was not convicted. That makes people say maybe Donald Trump didn’t commit any crimes for which he can be convicted? That’s a take that makes a person sound “smart” and “lawyerly” and not tempted into hyperbole.
It’s also a surface-level analysis that ignores key differences between the Edwards case and the mounting evidence against Donald Trump. Comparing the two is like saying “Fran is sitting there drinking her third cup of coffee right now, so why are you on my case?” as you ram two lines up your nose in the break room.
The cases of John Edwards paying off his mistress and Donald Trump paying off his mistresses are easily distinguishable. Let’s roll through the three highlights
(Excerpt) Read more at abovethelaw.com ...
Cohen is a liar by his own admission. His credibility is impaired at best. So unless there is evidence; recorded, written or otherwise that comes from Trump directing Cohen to pay these two women, how can Trump be guilty of anything?
On the flip side, if it is proven that Trump knew who Cohen was paying and why, then he obviously has a major problem because why else would he be paying these women?
That being said, this is still largely a he said/she said case (for the moment) that rises nowhere near the level of impeachment *IF* Trump used Campaign Funds to pay these women off.
So as I say at the outset, the author loses me quickly. The takeaway is simply that Edwards admitted to being a worthless human while Trump has admitted nothing?
Big whoop.
From the author:
https://www.thenation.com/article/george-bush-death-media-white-supremacy/
Naw, he’s not biased. Not one bit.
You can bet COLD CASH that Elie Mystal soiled himself on Twitter when Trump was elected.
I agree with the OP.
The more correct comparison is that congress paid blackmail to individuals taxpayer money.
I don’t care about the accusers’ name. I want the congresscritters’ names.
Trump’s case is trivial compared to Edwards’. Trump did nothing illegal, while Edwards paid from campaign funds.
I don’t know if I care anymore. His wall surrender has hit me hard.
John Edwards won Father of the Year in 2008 therefore not guilty.
This is one of the most twisted “reasonings” I have ever read. It is no wonder our legal system is in such tatters with judges not following the law and Constitution. This is more of the same, like Mueller, making a crime where there is no crime. But that is the Left.
What is the difference between hush money and extortion?
Hush money is given to people to keep quiet about something from the person who would benefit. It is usually voluntarily. “Hey Sally, remember that thing we used to do back in the day? Here’s a 100K to not talk about it anyone”
Extortion is when someone who wants to destroy another person demands payment from them to not tell the story, even if the story is true, made up or a combination of made up and true components. Usually to threaten the victim into payment(s) of some sort. “Hey Donald, remember the time you did me back in the day? You were such a freak, does your wife know? I am sure the press would love this story as well. You have a lot invested into this presidential campaign. Nobody cares if it is true or not, but a 130K would keep me quiet”.
I think there is a big difference between “hush money” and outright extortion.
Am I wrong about this?
He did not surrender
We have to face reality here, the Dems or Reps don’t want this wall. And we lost the house next month.
Instead of surrendering to the democrats, we need to kick their butts in 2020. We need pro trump candidates in the house and senate.
Nobody said this was going to be easy.
Chin-up!
Always good to meet a gibsonguy. Kalamazoo’s music legend.
well, other than the obvious difference which is that “hush money” is not a crime while “extortion” is. A crime of the person receiving the money I mean.
There is no crime for the person paying unless, in this case, the money came from campaign funds.
The thing is, money is fungible. If the money came from campaign funds and then Trump reimbursed from personal funds doesn’t it matter? At the end of the day, it’s as though Trump paid them directly. Substance over form.
Courts usually look to the substance of cases rather than the form. It’s the end result that matters. But as I have surmised, even if this is all proven, it merits a slap on the wrist - especially in light of fines the FEC leveled on the Obama campaign for the millions they played around with. This was a few hundred K. It doesn’t warrant impeachment. That’s just the Dems dream.
True and President Trump, at the time, was running a business where he could also could have been concerned about the revelations, unlike edwards.
President Trump, as an entertainment entrepreneur, was buying the rights to the story from personal funds, not paying blackmail ransom. Isn't there a crime there?
Well, yes and a civil court has held one of his accusers to account for the damages to the tune of $300K.
Just another liberal rationalizing their double standards.
Edward's was running for President while hiding his pregnant girlfriend from the public.
Your reasoning is dead wrong here. This article makes it crystal:
https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/12/michael-cohen-sentencing-campaign-finance-law/
The fact is that paying someone to stop a reveal is not illegal, unless you use campaign funds. Trump used his own money (when he reimbursed Cohen). If a candidate could use campaign funds we would have a rush to become candidates to cover “expenses” like this. We would not want this happening.
So if it is not illegal, then covering it up is not illegal. There, its easy, They have nothing on Trump from this charge.
What? Did you believe the accusations against Judge Kavanaugh? If you didn't, why are you willing to believe that Trump is guilty? What proof is there that anything occurred between him, and these two women?
And what different does it make if Trump told Cohen to pay these women? It was a legal agreement between Cohen and at least Stormy Daniels. Cohen paid her, and Trump says he reimbursed Cohen. Where's the crime? Unlike Edwards, Trump campaign donations, or donations of any kind were not used to pay back Cohen. Trump used his own money. In Edwards' case, he personally solicited money from Bunny Mellon and others in order to keep his mistress silent on their affair, and baby. Yet he was found not guilty of any campaign finance laws. Cohen was Trump's lawyer long before his campaign began. The alleged affairs occurred prior to any thought of his running for office. He was a businessman at the time. He kept Cohen on retainer. I've read he paid him a monthly fee to take care of stuff like this. Even a former FEC official says there is no crime. So where IS the crime?
The payments were far too low if the accusations were true. It’s more like hushing up false allegations as they would be a distraction feeding the fake news machine.
After John Edwards was indicted, FEC auditors determined that the hush money he received from wealthy
donors to cover up a torrid affair did not need to be reported in the campaign's financial disclosure reports,
his campaign's chief financial officer testified.
After three weeks of salacious testimony about Edwards' affair with mistress Rielle Hunter and the nearly $1 million
collected to keep it quiet, Edwards' lawyers kicked off their defense focusing on the much less steamy intricacies
of campaign finance law.
After reviewing the campaign's financials for four years, the FEC determined last month that money Edwards' aides
collected from wealthy donors Rachel "Bunny" Mellon and Fred Baron were "not campaign contribution[s],"
Lora Haggard, Edwards' 2008 chief financial officer, said........ (Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
I agree and read the article. But if that’s all true (and I guess it’s subject to debate) then why is Cohen going to jail? What Judge would sentence him? He had to have plead guilty to a crime.
That crime was using the campaign funds to pay the women off. It’s not Trumps crime by extension.
Either that or they have a much bigger crime yet to come that Cohen saved his neck from by pleading guilty.
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