We have three counts.
US Code 52 §30116(a)(1)(A).
§30116. Limitations on contributions and expenditures
(a) Dollar limits on contributions
(1) Except as provided in subsection (i) and section 30117 of this title, no person shall make contributions—
(A) to any candidate and his authorized political committees with respect to any election for Federal office which, in the aggregate, exceed $2,000;
So, he pleaded guilty to contributing more than $2000.
Next.
US Code 52 §30109(d)(1)(A).
§30109. Enforcement
(d) Penalties; defenses; mitigation of offenses
(1) (A) Any person who knowingly and willfully commits a violation of any provision of this Act which involves the making, receiving, or reporting of any contribution, donation, or expenditure—
aggregating $25,000 or more during a calendar year shall be fined under title 18, or imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both; or...
(ii) aggregating $2,000 or more (but less than $25,000) during a calendar year shall be fined under such title, or imprisoned for not more than 1 year, or both.
So, he pleaded guilty to contributing more than $25,000.
US Code § 2(b).
"Whoever willfully causes an act to be done which if directly performed by him or another would be an offense against the United States, is punishable as a principal."
So, he pleaded guilty to doing this himself.
This is some weird-ass stuff. He pleaded guilty EVEN THOUGH HIS ACTIONS WERE NOT CRIMINAL.
The law is very clear: Campaign finance violations HAVE TO EXIST ONLY AS A RESULT OF THE CAMPAIGN.
Cohen was given his own authority to pay off gold diggers without bothering his boss.
The payoffs were so small that Cohen would cover them and then bill Trump. Every wealthy person in the US pays off gold diggers.
So, there's no way that the payoff can be construed as an illegal donation to the Trump campaign. This is garden-variety lawyer work. Cohen pleaded guilty to a non-crime.
AND.
Cohen pleaded guilty to being a PRINCIPAL, meaning the guy who made it happen himself. There goes the defense that Trump made him do it. There's no charge of conspiracy. If Cohen and Trump had somehow conspired, it would be here, assuming the candidate is Trump.
This is so crazy that maybe we're all looking in the wrong place. Maybe Cohen pleaded guilty to charges connected to a DIFFERENT candidate. The plea deal says "a candidate for federal office" who ran in 2016.
The feds seized over 100 audio tapes. Only one had a conversation with Trump.
There were 22 major candidates in 2016. So maybe these guilty pleas have nothing to do with Trump. Lawyer-client privilege means that lawyers don't reveal their clients' identities unless given permission. That would explain why the plea agreement doesn't NAME Trump.
And we also have THIS.
Last night Mark Levin interviewed a former FEC Chairman Bradley Smith who explained why a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels cannot be considered an in-kind contribution to the Trump campaign, thus violating campaign finance law." Guess who nominated Bradley Smith?
Bill Clinton.
Guess who violently opposed him? The Republicans.
Smith is himself a Republican, and Clinton nominated him to fill a Republican seat on the bipartisan Federal Election Commission. Senate Republicans opposed him because he has very strict views on what should be regulated. Smith so opposes expanding the power of the federal government that as FEC chairman he opposed new REPUBLICAN regulations for 527 groups, which the GOP said favored Democrats.
Smith is a free-speech ZEALOT who thinks that regulation will only "increase the advantage of professionals and insiders over ordinary citizens, provide the press with more power, and increase the already considerable electoral advantage of incumbents."
By all accounts, Smith was the most-qualified FEC chairman we ever had.
HE SAYS THERE WAS NO VIOLATION.
Thomas Wictor (@ThomasWictor) | Twitter
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