The hush money case involving former President Donald Trump dates back almost two decades, with key events and dates playing out in a Manhattan courtroom trial. The case involves allegations of affairs with former Playboy model Karen McDougal and porn actor Stormy Daniels and the subsequent payments made to keep these encounters confidential. The timeline begins in 2005 when Trump married Melania and extends to his presidency in 2017 and beyond. The case includes recordings, meetings, payments, denials, and legal actions taken to keep the alleged affairs under wraps.
In 2015, Trump announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president, and meetings were held with key individuals, including Michael Cohen and David Pecker, CEO of National Enquirer publisher American Media Inc. These meetings were aimed at quashing stories and allegations that could harm Trump’s campaign. Payments were made to McDougal and Daniels to keep their stories confidential, with Cohen recording himself briefing Trump on the plan to buy McDougal’s story. However, the deal for McDougal’s nondisclosure was eventually called off, and payments were not made as planned.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, reports began to surface about the alleged affairs, with McDougal’s deal with the Enquirer’s parent company becoming public knowledge. Despite denials from the Trump campaign, the information continued to emerge, leading to questions about payments made to Daniels and the efforts to keep her quiet. Following Trump’s election as president, Cohen sought reimbursement for payments made to Daniels, leading to a repayment plan devised by the Trump Organization that included additional funds to cover taxes on the payments.
In 2018, details about the hush money payments became public, leading to further denials from Trump and his legal team. Cohen eventually pleaded guilty to campaign-finance violations related to the payments and claimed that Trump directed him to arrange them. Trump was not charged with any crime in connection to the investigation. Subsequently, AMI and the Trump Organization were subpoenaed, and Manhattan prosecutors continued to investigate the payments. Trump’s presidency ended in 2020, and a new Manhattan district attorney took over the case in 2021.
In 2023, the Manhattan district attorney impaneled a grand jury to hear evidence about Trump’s involvement in the hush money payments, leading to an indictment on state charges for falsifying internal records to hide the nature of the payments to Cohen. Trump pleaded not guilty and vowed to fight the charges, becoming the first former president to be charged with a crime. The trial began in 2024, marking a significant moment in the ongoing legal battle surrounding the hush money case and Trump’s alleged actions to keep the affairs under wraps. The case has captivated the public and drawn attention to the intersection of politics, celebrity, and the law.
