Former President Donald J. Trump has once again made headlines, this time for sharing a potentially game-changing document. Trump shared the letter on Truth Social early Wednesday, from adult film actress Stormy Daniels, dating back to 2018 wherein she denied having had an affair with the former president.
The letter, addressed “To Whom It May Concern,” resurfaced amidst the ongoing investigations into Trump’s alleged payment of hush money to Daniels. In the document, Daniels is quoted denying the affair not due to financial compensation, as previously speculated in numerous reports, but because “it never happened.” The letter stated, “I am denying this affair because I was paid ‘hush money’ as has been reported in overseas owned tabloids. I am denying this affair because it never happened.”
Trump’s social media post accompanying the letter exclaimed, “LOOK WHAT WAS JUST FOUND! WILL THE FAKE NEWS REPORT IT?” He further criticized the media and the Democrats for the “hush money witch hunt,” saying that the letter’s contents should nullify the allegations against him.
The post quickly gained traction on social media, with Trump supporters seeing it as a vindication of the former president. The Stormy Daniels saga began back in 2016 when it was reported that Trump’s then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, had paid Daniels $130,000 as part of a nondisclosure agreement to prevent her from speaking about her alleged affair with Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump has denied the affair and any wrongdoing related to the payment, which has been a focal point of multiple legal inquiries.
The developments have thrust the years-old controversy back into the spotlight.
A trial date has been set for April 15th, pitting Trump against Alvin Bragg, the progressive Manhattan district attorney who elevated Trump’s charges despite historically downgrading felonies for other offenders who have come before his office. The new gag order imposed by Judge Merchan states that Trump may not direct critical statements toward witnesses, court staff, DA Bragg, or other members of the prosecution. Other gag orders have been opposed by Trump’s team in unison with members of the mainstream media. Other criminal matters, including two federal cases and one in Georgia, have faced a series of procedural delays or been sidetracked by scandalous behavior by prosecutors.
The 34 charges, brought forward by DA Bragg, accuse Trump of falsifying business records linked to hush money payments made to Daniels, the former adult film star. The trial was initially set to begin March 25, rejecting Trump’s bid to delay the trial even more.
Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, pleaded guilty in 2018 to charges including campaign finance violations related to these payments. He claimed that he arranged payments to the women at Trump’s direction. Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison but said his actions were taken to protect Trump’s candidacy.
The legal issues revolve around whether these payments constituted illegal campaign contributions. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan initially investigated the payments as part of the broader inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 election. However, Trump was not charged with any crime as part of that investigation.