Federal prosecutors released sentencing recommendations for two alleged criminals who worked closely with Donald Trump: his lawyer Michael Cohen, and campaign manager Paul Manafort.
The payments in question, as the document explains, concern a payoff to two women who claimed to have affairs with Trump.
The payments, according to prosecutors, were intended to influence the campaign, and thereby constituted violations of campaign finance law.
They have not formally charged Trump with this crime — it is a sentencing report for Cohen, not Trump — but this is the U.S. Department of Justice calling Trump a criminal.
Under normal circumstances, the long list of charges federal prosecutors cited against Michael Cohen would be a political catastrophe for President Trump.
But the fact that he is being called a felon by the United States government is a historic step.
That means a quid pro quo in which Russia would help Trump win the election and Trump, if elected, would give Russia favorable policy. »
