'Trump charged for three 'catch and kill' hush money payments'

WASHINGTON: United States former President Donald Trump has been charged with three pre-election hush-money cases, including the one made to adult film star Stormy Daniels, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg said in an official statement. In the statement, the attorney mentioned three instances of the 'catch and kill' scheme in Donald Trump's indictment.

"In one instance, American Media Inc. (" AMI"), paid USD 30,000 to a former Trump Tower doorman, who claimed to have a story about a child TRUMP had out of wedlock," Bragg said in a statement. The attorney also stated that the AMI paid USD 150,000 was paid to the woman who claimed to have a sexual relationship with Trump.

And former President asked his lawyer to reimburse AMI in cash. AMI admitted its conduct was unlawful in an agreement with federal prosecutors and made false entries in its business records concerning the true purpose of the USD 150,000 payment.

"In a third instance - 12 days before the presidential general election - the Special Counsel wired USD 130,000 to an attorney for an adult film actress. The Special Counsel, who has since pleaded guilty and served time in prison for making the illegal campaign contribution, made the payment through a shell corporation funded through a bank in Manhattan," the statement read.

Bragg also said that during the 2016 election, Trump and others employed a "catch and kill" scheme to identify, purchase, and bury negative information about him and boost his electoral prospects. Trump is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with 34 counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree.

"The People of the State of New York allege that Donald J. Trump repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal crimes that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election," said District Attorney Bragg. "Manhattan is home to the country's most significant business market. We cannot allow New York businesses to manipulate their records to cover up criminal conduct.

As the Statement of Facts describes, the trail of money and lies exposes a pattern that, the People allege, violates one of New York's basic and fundamental business laws. As this office has done time and time again, we today uphold our solemn responsibility to ensure that everyone stands equal before the law," he added.

After winning the election, Trump reimbursed the Special Counsel through a series of monthly checks, first from the Trump Revocable Trust - created in New York to hold the Trump Organization's assets during TRUMP's presidency - and later from Trump's bank account. In total, 11 checks were issued for a phoney purposes.