Michael Cohen pleads guilty to tax, bank, and campaign-finance crimes

Claims supported by this source

1. factconvicted

   AMI paid Karen McDougal $150,000 for limited story rights and promised media features, but Cohen's plea record says the principal purpose understood by participants was to prevent her account of an alleged Trump relationship from influencing the election. Cohen coordinated with AMI and campaign members. The amount is a publisher-to-rightsholder payment, not money received by Cohen or Trump.

   Campaign-finance section: August 5 agreement, $150,000 payment, promised features, and suppression purpose

   AMI pays $150,000 for Karen McDougal's story and suppresses it before the election · Payment completed; conduct incorporated into Cohen's campaign-finance conviction

2. factconvicted

   Cohen drew $131,000 from a home-equity line, placed it in newly formed Essential Consultants LLC, and wired approximately $130,000 to Stormy Daniels' attorney under a confidential settlement. He marked the wire as a retainer and admitted the payment was coordinated to influence the election. The legal significance is Cohen's adjudicated campaign contribution and concealment, not the underlying alleged relationship.

   Paragraphs describing October 25–27 financing, shell company, wire, false retainer label, agreement, and electoral purpose

   Cohen wires $130,000 through Essential Consultants to secure Daniels' silence · Payment completed; Cohen convicted of campaign-finance offense

3. factconvicted

   Cohen sought reimbursement for the $130,000 Daniels payment, a $35 fee, and a claimed $50,000 technology expense. Trump Organization executives doubled $180,000 for taxes, added a $60,000 bonus, and scheduled $420,000 in $35,000 monthly checks supported by invoices for legal services. Cohen admitted there was no retainer and the invoices concealed reimbursement. The $420,000 went to Cohen as reimbursement and bonus, not to Daniels as additional hush money.

   January 2017 reimbursement calculation, $420,000 total, monthly schedule, invoices, and lack of retainer

   Trump Organization pays Cohen $420,000 through monthly invoices labeled legal fees · Payments completed; records later central to Trump's New York falsification conviction

4. factconvicted

   Cohen pleaded guilty to eight felonies, including two campaign-finance violations, and admitted making the election-related payments in coordination with and at the direction of the federal candidate identified as Trump. He also admitted tax evasion and a false bank statement. Cohen's admissions established his guilt; Trump was not charged in that federal case and disputed Cohen's credibility.

   Eight-count plea, $280,000 campaign contributions, direction/coordination admission, tax and bank offenses

   Cohen pleads guilty and says campaign-finance crimes were directed by Trump · Convicted by guilty plea; completed sentence in 2021