Adult film actress Stormy Daniels, legally known as Stephanie Clifford, has announced her expected participation in the upcoming criminal trial of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The trial, set to take place in New York City, involves charges relating to alleged hush money payments made to Daniels. The payments, reportedly totaling $130,000, are said to have been made prior to the 2016 presidential election, aiming to prevent public disclosure of an alleged affair between Daniels and Trump.
Trump has been indicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, as announced by a Manhattan grand jury. The indictment alleges that these falsifications were related to reimbursement payments made to Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and “fixer,” for the hush money. Cohen had pleaded guilty in 2018 to facilitating these payments, citing the primary purpose of influencing the 2016 presidential election.
The case against Trump marks a historical first, with him being the first former president to face criminal charges. In total, across four separate indictments, Trump faces 91 felony counts and has entered a plea of not guilty in all cases. His legal team has labeled the hush money case, along with the three other cases, as instances of “political prosecution.”
Daniels’ involvement in the case dates back to her initial encounter with Trump in July 2006 at a golf tournament in Lake Tahoe. Daniels alleges that following their meeting, Trump invited her to his hotel suite, leading to a sexual encounter and subsequent discussions about her potential participation on “Celebrity Apprentice.” Trump has consistently denied these allegations.
In May 2011, Daniels agreed to an interview with InTouch Weekly magazine, sharing her story. However, the story was initially withheld from publication following legal threats from Cohen. It was eventually published in 2018, coinciding with the rise of public interest in the alleged affair.
Subsequently, in 2016, as Trump’s presidential campaign was gaining momentum, Daniels was approached again to maintain silence on the alleged affair. This led to the $130,000 nondisclosure agreement, orchestrated by Cohen less than two weeks before the presidential election. Court documents later revealed that the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen through a series of payments.
Daniels took legal action in 2018 to invalidate the nondisclosure agreement and filed defamation lawsuits against both Cohen and Trump. Meanwhile, Trump has been ordered to pay Daniels’ legal fees totaling over $600,000 in connection with her failed defamation lawsuit against him.
The anticipated trial, with Daniels set to testify, is tentatively scheduled to commence on March 25, 2024. However, Judge Juan Merchan has indicated the possibility of a delay to avoid conflict with other criminal cases involving Trump. The next court date for the hush money case is set for February 15.
The legal proceedings surrounding this case continue to attract significant public and media attention, highlighting the intersection of politics, law, and celebrity. As the trial approaches, the testimonies of Daniels and Cohen are expected to be pivotal in shaping the outcome of this landmark case.
