Paying Hush money isn't a crime. Non-disclosure agreements are made all the time. But if campaign money was used on a personal expense such as hush money then it could potentially be considered a crime.  Again, that's going to be near impossible to prove since Trump used so much of his own money on the campaign. I'm not suggesting Trump isn't going to go down for something by the end of this. I just don't see this as being a safe bet to do so. It's very unlikely. His biggest risk remains testifying under oath and possibly purgering himself. 

Ok, now we are on the same page.  You are correct that it will be the burden on Cohen and the prosecutors to prove that the hush money was for the campaign, that Trump knew it was for the campaign and that he knew it was a violation of finance laws.  This is where Cohen and his tapes, emails, receipts, David Pecker, Allen Weisselberg come into play.  Its one thing to say that these were personal endeavors used to keep his personal misdeeds out of the press and another when you might have communication between Trump and Cohen, Trump and David Pecker and Trump and Allen Weisselberg that might paint a totally different story.  So before you give Trump the pass,  you probably should be looking into why these men accepted immunity for their testimony on the whole incident.  Its not so cut and dried that Trump will be able to throw this off as just some hush money but instead a coordinated plan executed by him to influence the elections. 

This section from the article you posted is very important in understanding how Trump defense can crumple depend on what David and Allen have to contribute including Cohen and any evidence he might have kept.

But at the end of the day, the personal vs. campaign test isn’t based on the account the money came from, but whether the cost would have come regardless of Trump running for office.

That quote is confusing to me. Trump used 60 million other dollars of his personal money on matter related to influencing the election and to benefit his campaign. How is this money any different?

No, I am not mistaken.  I do agree his plea deal is with federal prosecutors but nowhere do I see Muller or his team involved with his plea.  Since tax, banking and finance violations are federal charges its a federal case but if you can find anywhere Mueller team is part of the plea deal then you might have something.  Right now, this is a case about Cohen not the president.  If anything goes further then we may see Mueller team get involved.

I do not consider Trump is a criminal because of this stuff.  I believe he is a criminal because a host of crap before he ever ran for president.  I only see this as just another list of stuff to throw on the pile of stuff for this con man.  I actually believe this will never come to court but who knows, it will depend on what other evidence the prosecutors have and the severity of the violation.  The president is not above the law.  Trump cannot be implicated unless he was dumb enough to put himself in that spot.  Everything up to this point is all his fault and I can easily trace very single dumb stupid move he has done to get to this point.  Maybe if he could find a day he doesn't have to lie, cheat, steal he would not even be in this mess.  Just maybe if he came out and told the Truth the first time on that Tower meeting.  Maybe if he didn't send that hush money concerning all his affairs and just admitted to his faults and went about his business.  It's never the act that's the problem, its the lies and cover up that amplify those acts.  You are just another enabler.  Always looking to blame others for this man's action.  He made the decisions and lies that put him hear and he is reaping what lies do.

Trump reported the 60 million+ as part of the rules.  What he did not do was report the hush money.  If he reported the Hush money, since pretty much every news agency was looking at campaign money spent, it would have bubbled up right away and be in the news.  What that line is trying to say is that if Trump would have paid these women off to keep their mouth shut if there was no campaign run, then it could be considered like any other hush money payment.

You are mistaken in your portrayal of his “doing the right thing”. His hand prints are all over this, he doesn’t need to be there but it’s his plea deal. Why do you think Cohen is begging to talk to the special counsel now and Mueller is blowing him off? Because he is nobody, mueller got what he wanted and left New York to do the mercy kill with unpardonable state charges. They fucking destroyed this dude and still don’t have any evidence on Trump as a reason to exist lol. “Still looking!” I have no pity for Cohen, good riddance. The only thing worse than a politician is a scummy lawyer and this circus is full of them. 

Technically it’s the deputy AGs plea deal but that goofball is just the placeholder that let his rabid dog off of the leash. Mueller is the effective AG unofficially and unconstitutionally. He is more powerful than any US attorney that had to be confirmed by the senate. Sessions is probably the biggest travesty in the Trump presidency, what a useless boob.

This is the mueller plea deal though make no mistake, the initial raid came from way high up, even though it was in the hands of the NY DA they used the mueller investigation to get to his tax fraud. He plead guilty to bogus campaign fraud charges, not his uncovered tax frauds. For a plea deal, so they can plaster their bullshit on newspapers. It will never go to trial to be proven, the federal case is over it’s a plea deal. The Deputy AG rose stein aka the mueller mouthpiece and rubber stamp did that. Some random NY DA can’t raid the presidents lawyers house and office, your context is way off on this one. It’s the president man, he is not Trump to me he is article 2. Trump will be gone soon one way or another, all presidents have and will and that’s how it’s supposed to be. Articles 1, 2 and 3 are treated as a joke and it’s not a good thing. For anyone. He is above everyone in the executive branch and congress created federal courts and the DOJ. Which laws did he step above? You still haven’t named any Russia or otherwise. If you nullify your foundation you are in the Wild West again. The people who want that wouldn’t like what they get, they would be the first to go because of their dependency. It doesn’t take long to destroy a community or a society, the examples are endless. 

Ok what crimes did did he commit before being president? How does that justify the existence of the initial counter intelligence investigation? The initial raid on Cohen was the Prague bullshit in the unproven steele dossier. I didn’t ignore that either, it’s in the first post you responded to. The raid was a Russian thing, until it wasn’t. Same with manafort. So they use this thing to get fisa warrants and raid the presidents lawyers office like Capone lol. Nothing to see here, but stop dismissing accusations. How many congressmen do you think would be left standing if they went through a cavity search like this? My guess is very few.

Is that why they give immunity to the long time Trump cfo? It’s not that they want to dissect the trump organization based on a legal NDA agreement lol. If you can’t get him on Russian collusion (murder) then get him on campaign fraud (tax fraud). How predictably pathetic. Scavanging the earth like their lives depend on it and Trump is still standing? How? How is trump this clean, it’s unusual lol. The only questionable thing about Trump is why he would trust such a lowlife in the first place. It makes me question his judgement even though the pressure was ridiculous. The weight of the FED coming down on one person isn’t a pretty sight. Cohens head hunters aren’t any better, they are made of the same slippery shit.

That other republican that was charged can’t wait to go to trial lol. People need to start fighting back in court, yes it will ruin your family and financials but I believe our country depends on it. Make these assholes prove their bullshit and accusations instead of pleading guilty to made up crimes. Cohens situation was useless, they check mated his ass with lethal efficiency. They didn’t get the one you really want though, sorry. Hope and change my dude. 

I love this interview by Trump. Nothing shows how much of a serial liar he is when even Fox has to admit he totally lied.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/fox-news-host-bret-baier-trump-clearly-lying-in-fox-and-friends-interview

The bad part about the whole fox and friends interview is that someone must not have reminded Trump that CNN already played the tape showing that he not only new about the payment before it was made but he authorized it. I guess when you get around 70 you cannot remember all the lies you tell so I understand.

Here is a more detail list of the whole thing and Trump supporters wonder why no one listen when they throw out that charade argument. Even when faced with being caught in a lie, as always Trump just double downs knowing his enablers will find an excuse to forget, call it fake news, say its a farce, say they do not care you name it but never put any blame on his head

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/08/23/not-just-misleading-not-merely-false-lie/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.74d82acdaa8a

It wasn't illegal to fire Comey or do those other things per se, but it was illegal if he did so with corrupt motivation.  Right?  Just checking because "totally in the clear" sends the wrong message to me. 

I am amazed that something like that is just accepted on all political sides.It should be treated as an issue for politics as a whole and not just against one particular side or person of the political spectrum whenever it fits .

I can't believe I actually even opened the article since it's based on 'fact checking', LOL, but the fact that there is somebody watching every single thing Trump says and is pointing out any tiny flaw to try and make him look as bad as possible, just solidifies the reason why he became President in the first place.

I missed the part of the article where it talks about what he said that's truthful and how often that occurs... maybe in the fine print? I'm sure it's there somewhere...

Good point. Except for the point that he didn't need this position, had no reason to accept it, let alone chase it in the first place, spent millions of his own money to campaign for the  opportunity, and yet if he admitted he lied and should be fired, you think that would obviously mean it's the truth and should be taken as gospel?

Their motivation? So Trump spends millions of his own money and wastes a tonne of his time, losing millions he could be making at his business, to win the position and then screws himself over once it's all his? You should re-think your determination process.

It's not like Trump out of the blue remembered he once had a fling with her and decided to phone her up and offer her hush money just in case. If you were her, and wanted something out of it the whole time, or decided since Trump was in an election and was vulnerable, wouldn't you pounce? It's not his fault she was going to come out and that the media was going to make a big deal out of it now, which you can bet they wouldn't have, if it was before he decided to run. Trump just needs to point out that it was a personal issue and he paid it to keep his family and business blind to the situation. The fact that she wanted to use his political nomination to get the money out of him has nothing to do with Trump himself. It was pure chance as far as he's concerned and without hard evidence, that's the way it will be judged.