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The fact that Cohen made the payment secretly, taking a home equity loan behind his wife’s back, underscores its potential motives—possibly personal or other non-campaign reasons—diluting the case's focus on campaign finance laws.
The Central Question: Was the Payment a Campaign Violation?
Prosecutors argue that Trump's payment of hush money to Stormy Daniels was a campaign finance violation. However, the defense and some legal analysts point out crucial flaws in this claim:
- No Designation as a Campaign Expense: The payment was not labeled as a campaign expense at the time, and it was only mischaracterized after the election.