Understanding Hush Money: Definition and Legal Implications Explained

Understanding Hush Money: It is believed that Donald Trump paid $130,000 to adult film star Stephanie Clifford, known professionally as Stormy Daniels, as hush money in the first criminal investigation into him that led to charges.

The trial was slated to begin on 25 March, but has been pushed back to mid-April. However, there will be a hearing tomorrow, when the new trial date will be announced.

It is not necessarily illegal to pay someone to keep quiet under the term “hush.” The payments usually need to be covered up in order to keep something important out of the public eye to the extent that it requires payment. This can lead to trouble with the authorities.

Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, as each transaction is a separate offense. Alvin Bragg must demonstrate an intention of committing, aiding, or concealing a second crime in order to elevate a misdemeanor for bookkeeping fraud to a felony. Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, will be questioned for protection as a witness.

Is hush money illegal and what is its definition?

This type of arrangement takes various forms, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, which defines ‘hush money’ as “money paid to keep information secret: money paid to keep something secret.”

You may give your child ice cream to prevent them from telling your spouse about a mistake you made, or you may pay someone to keep something from becoming public, such as when you sign a non-disclosure agreement. As for the former, it can be violated under a court order, while the latter relies on the child’s silence.

If, however, someone is paid to keep quiet about something, even under oath, that crosses the line into illegal territory, specifically obstruction of justice, and perjury for the person not telling the truth.

Whether it is legal to pay Stormy Daniels if you don’t want anybody to know about an affair depends on the reason for the payments. After it emerged that Vince McMahon, a friend of Trump, paid $12 million to four women to keep allegations of sexual misconduct and infidelity quiet, he retired as head of World Wrestling Entertainment. Despite this, he was not charged with a crime. Cohen pled guilty in 2018 to making Stormy Daniels payments, claiming he did so at Trump’s behest, and was sentenced to five months in prison.

Check Out: Top 20 States with the Highest Cancer Rates