Pecker dysfunction

Pecker dysfunction

by digby




Excerpt from the SDNY press release.
The Office also announced today that it has previously reached a non-prosecution agreement with AMI, in connection with AMI’s role in making the above-described $150,000 payment before the 2016 presidential election. As a part of the agreement, AMI admitted that it made the $150,000 payment in concert with a candidate’s presidential campaign, and in order to ensure that the woman did not publicize damaging allegations about the candidate before the 2016 presidential election. AMI further admitted that its principal purpose in making the payment was to suppress the woman’s story so as to prevent it from influencing the election. 
Assuming AMI’s continued compliance with the agreement, the Office has agreed not to prosecute AMI for its role in that payment. The agreement also acknowledges, among other things, AMI’s acceptance of responsibility, its substantial and important assistance in this investigation, and its agreement to provide cooperation in the future and implement specific improvements to its internal compliance to prevent future violations of the federal campaign finance laws. These improvements include distributing written standards regarding federal election laws to its employees and conducting annual training concerning these standards.

It would have been dicey to prosecute AMI since there are problematic First Amendment issues with respect to the National Enquirer. It's true that they weren't actually acting as the press but still ... always something you'd want to avoid. But since they are confirming that Trump paid hush money to affect the election it's a big problem for Trump. If his accountant Weisselberg has offered corroborating evidence all they have left is Republican Senators acting like the potted plants they are and excusing this behavior as business as usual.

Reminder: what Trump is accused of doing is paying off an adult film actress and a Playboy Playmate he slept with during the time his wife was caring for their newborn baby, and he did it to hide his deeds from the American people in the days before the presidential election.

And keep in mind that as that was going on he was out there saying this:



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