FEC Drops 2016 Hush Money Investigation Into Trump

The New York Times reports:

The Federal Election Commission said on Thursday that it had formally dropped a case looking into whether former President Donald J. Trump violated election law with a payment of $130,000 shortly before the 2016 election to a pornographic-film actress by his personal lawyer at the time, Michael D. Cohen.

The payment was never reported on Mr. Trump’s campaign filings. Mr. Cohen would go on to say that Mr. Trump had directed him to arrange payments to two women during the 2016 race, and would apologize for his involvement in a hush-money scandal.

CNN reports:

Two Democrats on the Federal Election Commission are criticizing Republican members after the commission deadlocked and did not take action against former President Donald Trump’s campaign related to the $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election.

“Because of Trump’s apparent role in orchestrating the transaction, we supported (the commission’s Office of the General Counsel) recommendations to find reason to believe that he and the Committee accepted, and the Committee did not report, illegal contributions,” Commission Chair Shana Broussard and Commissioner Ellen Weintraub wrote in a statement.

Democrats on the Federal Election Commission denounce the group’s decision not to punish former President Donald Trump over hush money payment to Stormy Daniels https://t.co/dHvVPOhD7Z

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) May 7, 2021

Republicans on the Federal Election Commission have voted to drop the case looking into whether Trump violated election law with a payment of $130,000 to Stephanie Clifford, aka Stormy Danierls. Democrats on the commission objected. https://t.co/PYuVqx7Nsi

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 6, 2021