US President Donald Trump’s time in office has lurched into yet another crisis as hush money pay outs to a former porn star and an erotic model are confirmed as true.
Trump has changed his mind about if he knew about the illegal payments from his campaign funds to adult film star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal.
The allegations are both had affairs with Trump that they threatened to make public in the run-up to his 2016 election victory and that his lawyer Michael Cohen diverted campaign funds of $130,000 to for Daniels and persuaded a Trump contributor to pay off McDougal.
Trump maintains he did not know about the payments until afterwards – despite telling reporters previously that he knew nothing about the arrangements.
Cohen maintains he acted directly on instructions from Trump.
Lies and affairs
Along the line, Trump has told lies about the affairs.
He denied them and then denied knowledge of the payment to Daniels.
The crisis says a lot about Trump as a man.
His campaign was dogged by allegations of badly treating women, allegations of collusion with the Russians and claims about how ‘bad’ Hillary Clinton should be indicted over an email scandal.
But it seems Trump has a poor judgement about what is true and what is a lie, and flirts with twisting the facts to his own advantage.
The problem with this is the truth eventually catches up with you.
Before the courts
Cohen is not his only confidante to plead guilty in court to criminal charges. On the same day, Paul Manafort, his election campaign chairman was found guilty of eight counts of fraud.
Former national security adviser Michael Flynn and ex-foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos admitted lying to the FBI. Manafort’s deputy Richard Gates faces money-laundering charges.
Others with connections to the Trump administration who have faced charges include Alex Van Der Zwan, over lying to the FBI about working with two Trump aides, Duncan Hunter, a Congressman who endorsed Trump’s presidential campaign and Representative Chris Collins, who also endorsed Trump’s campaign.
The Trump Organisation, the President’s corporation is also under investigation for breaking campaign financing rules.
The trouble with mud is it sticks, and Trump’s administration looks dirty.
Crooked Hillary must be quietly satisfied how her rival’s cookie is crumbling after the way he vilified her reputation.