Hush money phone call

Secret Trump tape causes amazement among jury

Donald Trump appears in court.

(Bild: Action Press/Justin Lane)

The hush money trial surrounding the former US president continues to gather pace. On Thursday, the jury was presented with what is probably the most exciting piece of evidence to date: A taped telephone conversation between Donald Trump and his former lawyer Michael Cohen - it is said to prove explosive payments. 

The former Playboy model Karen McDougal claims to have had an affair with Trump in 2006, while he was already married to Melania Trump. Cohen himself made the recording in 2016. The FBI seized the tape two years later during a house search, whereupon it ended up in the US media and was made public. According to journalists present, the jurors nevertheless listened to Trump's words spellbound. Trump, on the other hand, looked irritated.

Did the newspaper buy rights with Trump's money?
The recording - parts of which are of poor quality - suggests that Trump was aware of the cover-up attempts. To explain: a few months before the election, McDougal wanted to make the affair public in the tabloid "The National Enquirer". The publisher AMI gave her a good 150,000 dollars for the exclusive rights in August 2016. Apparently to help Trump and never publish the story. This practice is called "catch and kill".

Parts of the recording to listen to:

Cohen tells Trump in the recording about a plan to buy the rights to the former Playboy model's story so that it would never be published. At one point in the recording, Cohen revealed that he had spoken to the Trump Organization's chief financial officer at the time, Allen Weisselberg, about "how to get the whole financing thing going."

Check or cash?
Trump suggested making the payment in cash, to which Cohen objected and repeatedly said "no." Trump then says "check" before the recording cuts off. Hush agreements between two parties are not illegal. However, Trump is accused of illegally recording the payments.

The criminal charges Donald Trump is now facing in New York stem from three separate cases in which the former president and his associates are accused of making hush money payments during his 2016 campaign. Among other things, 130,000 dollars are said to have been paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels. Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records.

The trial against Trump began in mid-April and could last up to eight weeks, according to the court. If convicted, the 77-year-old could face several years in prison, which could also be suspended. Trump would also have the opportunity to appeal. Even after a possible conviction - and even in the event of a prison sentence - Trump would still be able to run in the presidential election.