That may be true. I don't know and IANAL. Question though - the affair was alleged to have happened in 2006. And it was not exactly a secret. The allegations of the affair were already published in 2011 by Life & Style magazine.
So how do you pay hush money for something that is already in the public domain? That is why they structured the deal to "buy her story rights" so they she would not talk about it any further. But it seems to me that it cannot be "hush money" when it is already printed in the news.
Agreed.
It was hardly hush money as the old affair was well known.
And....there were many far worse stories and video tapes of Trump talking about women badly.
I think Trump’s publisher pal and Cohen got together on this clumsy effort to help Trump.
I really wonder if Trump knew anything about it as Cohen claims.
Let’s wait for corroboration, if it exists of Trump’s awareness.