What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[Barrister]

But the fact that the payment to Stormy Daniels wasn't recorded as a campaign expense?  Pretty big meh if you ask me.

Is it illegal? Corrupt? I mean we already have him paying blackmail and hush money. Unless there is something illegal there I don't see how it makes it better or worse.

But hey maybe it is. Campaign finance is crazy complicated. But you seem to know it is a 'meh'? I have no clue.

As far as I know there is nothing illegal about paying someone money in exchange for a NDA.  The only illegality is the campaign finance violation.

And when I say it sounds "meh" I'm just voicing one man's opinion.  And "Meh" doesn't mean it's nothing - there are campaign finance rules for a reason.  It's just that it seems like the kind of thing that could lead the campaign to being fined, not to jail time and impeachment.

[Jacob]

This is such a deliciously partisan post.

It also tracks pretty closely with the thinking of Trump's base: those terrible people in the media and universities are for this, so it must be a terrible thing.

Fair cop. I'll retract my statement.

[Razgovory]

There is a reason why campaigns have treasurers.  Big campaigns have a lot of accountants and lawyers.  The probably won't ding if for "Hey Mike, I need 50 bucks for a spray tan before this debate".  However, "Hey Mike, I need you to pay 130,000 dollars to shut up a sex worker I bonked.  Let's funnel it trough your law firm", will probably get some scrutiny.

You seem to have it sort of backwards Raz.  The issue is whether he used unreported private money for a campaign purpose, not whether he used campaign money for a private purpose.

The issue is that if Cohen paid for this gal out his own money it's an unreported donation to the campaign.  If Trump paid him back it's an unreported loan to the campaign.  If Trump just wrote her a check there would be no issue.  Well besides the oddness of paying a sex worker 130,000 bucks.  To be honest we don't know where the money came from, since nobody is being particularly forthright.  Time posted an article a few months ago that claimed that the Trump campaign made a series of odd payments that add up to 129,000.75 right before election.  Payments that coincide with Stormy Daniels payments, so who knows.

As far as I can tell, Cohen is the one in trouble right now, but if Cohen's in trouble Trump's in trouble.

[jimmy olsen]

that he so easily trades in obvious racism... I could go on.

So making the difficult choice to engage in more subtle racism is okay by you?

[frunk]

As far as I know there is nothing illegal about paying someone money in exchange for a NDA.  The only illegality is the campaign finance violation.

And when I say it sounds "meh" I'm just voicing one man's opinion.  And "Meh" doesn't mean it's nothing - there are campaign finance rules for a reason.  It's just that it seems like the kind of thing that could lead the campaign to being fined, not to jail time and impeachment.

Would you feel the same if Trump lied under oath about it, unlike the obvious lying in public that he's been doing?

[Valmy]

And when I say it sounds "meh" I'm just voicing one man's opinion.  And "Meh" doesn't mean it's nothing - there are campaign finance rules for a reason.  It's just that it seems like the kind of thing that could lead the campaign to being fined, not to jail time and impeachment.

So if Justin Trudeau was paying blackmail money out his campaign funds that would be 'meh'? Or is it just because it is Trump and therefore not a big deal in the context of his craziness?

Also don't underestimate the way stuff like that can loom large down here. I mean back taxes are kind of 'meh' to me but that is what got Al Capone locked away and what got the KKK (at least the national organization) shut down, not all the murders they committed. We like small technicalities standing in for other stuff. Presuming it even is illegal what he did. I don't know. Campaign finance is weird. It may indeed be 'meh'.

But I think, more to the point as far as impeachment goes, if you were already ok with the Stormy Daniels business this isn't going to change your mind much.

[Admiral Yi]

The issue is that if Cohen paid for this gal out his own money it's an unreported donation to the campaign.  If Trump paid him back it's an unreported loan to the campaign.

Do you know this for a fact Raz?

[alfred russel]

So if Justin Trudeau was paying blackmail money out his campaign funds that would be 'meh'? Or is it just because it is Trump and therefore not a big deal in the context of his craziness?

-I don't think there is an issue with someone paying money to a blackmailer. Blackmailing is a crime, not succumbing to it.
-The general concern with someone paying blackmail is what they were paying to keep quiet. Here, as far as I know at least, he was paying to keep quiet that he was banging a porn star. That doesn't appear to be a crime, or even a blight on what we know of his character.
-So the issue is campaign funds. Earlier I was reading that he didn't use campaign funds to pay her, and that was a violation of campaign finance laws as the campaign would benefit from this story not coming out. If he did use campaign funds that would also be a crime?

I don't know campaign finance law, but I do know you need a 2/3 majority of the Senate to remove a president, and that isn't going to happen even after the elections over a $180k payment to a porn star. And that is probably a good thing, because as long as Trump has ~40% approval it would be extremely politically damaging to do so (if his voters felt they were disenfranchised before...). Definitely keep investigating, but I don't think this is the big one.

[Eddie Teach]

that he so easily trades in obvious racism... I could go on.

So making the difficult choice to engage in more subtle racism is okay by you?

Uncalled for.

[Valmy]

So if Justin Trudeau was paying blackmail money out his campaign funds that would be 'meh'? Or is it just because it is Trump and therefore not a big deal in the context of his craziness?

-I don't think there is an issue with someone paying money to a blackmailer. Blackmailing is a crime, not succumbing to it.
-The general concern with someone paying blackmail is what they were paying to keep quiet. Here, as far as I know at least, he was paying to keep quiet that he was banging a porn star. That doesn't appear to be a crime, or even a blight on what we know of his character.
-So the issue is campaign funds. Earlier I was reading that he didn't use campaign funds to pay her, and that was a violation of campaign finance laws as the campaign would benefit from this story not coming out. If he did use campaign funds that would also be a crime?

I don't know campaign finance law, but I do know you need a 2/3 majority of the Senate to remove a president, and that isn't going to happen even after the elections over a $180k payment to a porn star. And that is probably a good thing, because as long as Trump has ~40% approval it would be extremely politically damaging to do so (if his voters felt they were disenfranchised before...). Definitely keep investigating, but I don't think this is the big one.

Yeah I agree. But I have no fucking idea. And, as you say, impeachment is primarily a political act and, as I said, nobody's opinion was likely changed by this. That was the point I was trying to make. It was BB who mentioned impeachment, that never crossed my mind.

[Admiral Yi]

Now what could get interesting is if Cohen flips and tosses Donald under the bus about hiring a goon to put a scare in Stormy.

[Barrister]

And when I say it sounds "meh" I'm just voicing one man's opinion.  And "Meh" doesn't mean it's nothing - there are campaign finance rules for a reason.  It's just that it seems like the kind of thing that could lead the campaign to being fined, not to jail time and impeachment.

So if Justin Trudeau was paying blackmail money out his campaign funds that would be 'meh'? Or is it just because it is Trump and therefore not a big deal in the context of his craziness?

Also don't underestimate the way stuff like that can loom large down here. I mean back taxes are kind of 'meh' to me but that is what got Al Capone locked away and what got the KKK (at least the national organization) shut down, not all the murders they committed. We like small technicalities standing in for other stuff. Presuming it even is illegal what he did. I don't know. Campaign finance is weird. It may indeed be 'meh'.

What I mean is: I think Trump is wildly unqualified.  This stuff is just more evidence of that fact.  I don't think unreported campaign donations are going to wind up with anyone going to jail, or being the basis of Trump being impeached.

[Razgovory]

The issue is that if Cohen paid for this gal out his own money it's an unreported donation to the campaign.  If Trump paid him back it's an unreported loan to the campaign.

Do you know this for a fact Raz?

I'm not a lawyer, Yi.  But his is what we were discussing.

[Admiral Yi]

I'm not a lawyer, Yi.  But his is what we were discussing.

There are times when i find it difficult to tell if you are passing on information or expressing your opinion.

[Razgovory]

I'm not a lawyer, Yi.  But his is what we were discussing.

There are times when i find it difficult to tell if you are passing on information or expressing your opinion.

Okay, this is me passing on information.  This is what I've read about the situation.