Why hush money Michael Cohen paid Stormy Daniels was an illegal campaign donation
Confused about how hush money payments orchestrated by Michael Cohen to protect President Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign can be considered violations of campaign finance laws?
Join the club.
While some people are perplexed, others – including Trump – say the campaign charges are no big deal. Or they play the "what about" game and claim that President Barack Obama did the same thing.
Campaign finance experts Meredith McGehee, executive director of Issue One, a government reform group, and Erin Chlopak, senior legal counsel for campaign finance at the Campaign Legal Center, say the laws Cohen admitted to violating are fundamental to the proper function of fair elections.
They also helped answer some basic questions about the campaign finance charges against Cohen and the implications of those charges for Trump.