Bloomberg: Election Watchdog Closes Trump Case on 2016 Payment to Porn Star

The Federal Election Commission deadlocked on continuing the inquiry into the payoff of an adult film star who claimed to have had a sexual relationship with Donald Trump, meaning that the former president and his campaign won’t face any penalties in the case.

Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to violating campaign finance laws among other charges in connection with a $130,000 payment he made in October 2016 to secure a nondisclosure agreement from Stephanie Clifford, better known as Stormy Daniels, an actress in adult films. Clifford said she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006 and was seeking to publicize her story.

Cohen, who was later reimbursed by Trump, said in his guilty plea that the payment was made to influence the outcome of the presidential election in 2016. Several organizations, including campaign finance watch dogs and Democratic groups opposed to Trump, filed complaints to the FEC, arguing that the payment, which was not disclosed by Trump’s campaign, represented an illegal contribution – well above the $2,700 limit in force at the time for individuals – from Cohen. They also charged that the campaign should have reported the expenditure. …

The FEC’s general counsel, who conducted a preliminary review of the matter, recommended an inquiry “to determine the extent to which Trump coordinated with, or otherwise directed, Cohen to make the Clifford payment to help his presidential campaign,” an agency filing shows.

”Continued pursuit of the matter required at least four votes,” said Paul S. Ryan, vice president for policy and litigation at Common Cause, which filed one of the complaints against Trump and his campaign. “Republican Commissioners Cooksey and Trainor overrode the career attorneys and Democratic commissioners and killed the investigation.”