'The most important piece of paper of all': Smoking gun document presented at Trump trial

Recent questions

• What is the significance of People Exhibit 35 in a criminal trial?

  People Exhibit 35 is crucial evidence in a criminal trial involving an American president. It shows a $130,000 wire transfer to Stormy Daniels' representative, indicating a hush money payment. The document reveals additional reimbursements owed to Michael Cohen, with the Trump Organization CFO calculating it as income to avoid taxes. Prosecutors argue that this document is smoking gun evidence of a crime, as it exposes the disguised nature of the payment as a campaign expenditure. Cohen testified that Trump, Cohen, and the CFO discussed the payment details before Trump approved it, shedding light on the document's importance in the trial.

• What does Michael Cohen's handwriting on the document indicate?

  Michael Cohen's handwriting on the document suggests additional reimbursements owed to him, revealing the intricate financial transactions surrounding the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. This handwriting serves as evidence of the behind-the-scenes dealings and the attempt to disguise the payment as something else. The details in Cohen's handwriting provide insight into the complexity of the financial arrangements and the potential legal implications of the transactions.

• How did the Trump Organization CFO contribute to the document?

  The Trump Organization CFO's handwriting on the document calculates Michael Cohen's payment as income to avoid taxes, totaling $420,000 over 12 months. This contribution highlights the financial manipulation involved in the transaction, as the CFO was involved in categorizing the payment to Cohen. By calculating the payment as income, the CFO played a role in the attempt to conceal the true nature of the payment, adding another layer of complexity to the document's significance in the trial.

• Why do prosecutors consider the document as smoking gun evidence?

  Prosecutors view the document as smoking gun evidence due to its revelation of the disguised nature of the payment as a campaign expenditure. The $130,000 wire transfer to Stormy Daniels' representative, along with Michael Cohen's handwriting indicating additional reimbursements, paints a clear picture of the financial transactions involved. The Trump Organization CFO's calculations further solidify the document's importance, as it shows a deliberate attempt to manipulate the payment for legal services into income to avoid taxes. This evidence directly implicates key individuals and sheds light on the illegal activities surrounding the payment.

• What was the intended purpose of the document in question?

  The document in question was intended to be payment for future legal services, with Michael Cohen titled as personal attorney to the president. However, it was actually a reimbursement for the Stormy Daniels payment, confirmed by Cohen before Trump left for Washington. Despite the initial guise of the payment, the document ultimately served as a means to cover up the hush money transaction, revealing the deceptive practices employed by those involved. The intended purpose of the document was to legitimize the payment as legal fees, but its true nature as a reimbursement for the Stormy Daniels payment came to light during the trial.