Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels blast FEC for dropping Trump probe

Former President Trump’s ex-personal attorney Michael Cohen and Stephanie Clifford, the porn star known as Stormy Daniels, blasted the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for dropping its probe into whether Trump illegally made hush money payments to women.

The FEC closed its investigation into the payments after failing to find that Trump or his campaign “knowingly and willfully” violated campaign finance law when he paid Daniels $130,000 just before the 2016 election to keep her from disclosing an alleged affair years prior.

Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for lying to Congress, tax evasion and other charges related to the payment.

Daniels has sued Trump for defamation over his denial of her allegations.

Cohen said on Twitter that Trump “should have been found guilty” for the payment.

“The facts are well known to all. The hush money payment was done at the direction of and for the benefit of Donald J. Trump. Like me, #Trump should have been found guilty. How the FEC committee could rule any other way is confounding,” Cohen tweeted.

 

“The facts are well known to all. The hush money payment was done at the direction of and for the benefit of Donald J. Trump. Like me, #Trump should have been found guilty. How the FEC committee could rule any other way is confounding.” ⁦@nytimes⁩ https://t.co/DxvgcDFyVQ

— Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) May 6, 2021

Daniels said on Twitter “our legal system is a joke but I’ll keep fighting,&speaking my truth. I was assaulted, threatened, bullied, attacked daily, falsely arrested&had fake charges put on my record because I refused to back down. Never thought I’d see the day  @MichaelCohen212 & I’d be on the same side.”

 

Republican commissioners James “Trey” Trainor and Sean Cooksey voted to dismiss the matter, saying in a statement that Cohen had already been punished by the legal system.

“The public record is complete with respect to the conduct at issue in these complaints, and Mr. Cohen has been punished by the government of the United States for the conduct at issue in these matters,” they wrote.

Democratic Commission Chair Shana Broussard and Commissioner Ellen Weintraub said that ending the probe without investigating the claims “defies reality.”

Republican Vice Chairman Allen Dickerson recused himself, while independent Commissioner Steven Walther did not vote.