READ: Trump indictment and statement of facts related to hush money payment | CNN Politics

Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, has been slapped with an indictment that accuses him of making a series of false statements to conceal payments made to silence his former mistress. The 34 felony counts are part of a wider investigation into hush money payments made by Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen during his presidential campaign.

According to the unsealed indictment and statement of facts, released on Tuesday, Trump allegedly lied about making these payments in order to avoid disclosing them on financial disclosure forms and public records. The documents reveal that Trump paid $130,000 from his 2016 presidential campaign committee to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who claimed she had an affair with the president.

The statement of facts also details a suspicious payment of $500,000 made by Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, claiming it was for "consulting" services. However, prosecutors say this payment was actually intended to silence her from speaking publicly about her alleged relationship with Trump.

Prosecutors argue that Trump made these payments in order to cover up his extramarital affairs and avoid disclosing them on public records, thus breaching campaign finance laws and election regulations. The indictment alleges that Trump knowingly and intentionally misled the public about his dealings with Cohen and the hush money payments.

The charges carry significant penalties for Trump, including potential prison time if convicted. This case marks a major escalation in the ongoing investigations into Trump's business dealings and presidential campaign finances.

So this is a big deal . I mean, we've heard rumors about Trump's shady deals before, but to see it all laid out like this is wild. He allegedly lied about paying hush money to his mistress - that's some serious stuff. And the fact that he claimed the $500k payment to Karen McDougal was for consulting services when really it was just a cover-up? No wonder the investigators are so interested in this case.

It's also interesting to see how this all ties back to campaign finance laws and election regulations. It sounds like Trump thought he could get away with breaking those rules, but now he's facing serious consequences. I'm not surprised that the indictment carries significant penalties - he's been known for being pretty ruthless when things don't go his way.

I wonder what the next step will be in this case. Will Trump defend himself or try to negotiate a plea deal? Only time will tell .

I gotta say, I'm low-key impressed by how this whole thing is playing out . I mean, Trump's been saying he's above the law for years, but it looks like he's finally getting his comeuppance . It's kinda poetic justice that he's being charged with lying about payments to keep quiet about his own extramarital shenanigans .

I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, though – this is a big deal for Trump and the country. If he gets convicted, it'll be a major blow to his legacy and could set a precedent for holding former presidents accountable for their actions . On the other hand, if he gets off scot-free, it'll just fuel the conspiracy theories that have already built up around him .

What I'm curious about is how this all plays out in terms of public opinion. Will Trump's base stick by him no matter what, or will they start to see him as a flawed candidate who got caught with his pants down ? Only time'll tell

I'm not surprised to see Trump getting slapped with an indictment like this... the more I think about it, the more I feel like he's been playing fast and loose with the law his whole career . I mean, $130k to Stormy Daniels? That's a pretty big payment to keep quiet about an alleged affair . And now this new info about Karen McDougal coming out... it's like Trump is just throwing caution to the wind and hoping no one pays attention . I'm not saying he deserves to go down, but if you're gonna do something shady, at least have the decency to be honest about it . This whole thing just reeks of entitlement and a lack of accountability

This is getting crazy ! I mean, who knew he was involved with so many people? Like, Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal? That's some wild stuff . And him lying about it all just to keep his private life private? Not cool, dude. It feels like a big mess . Can you imagine if everyone did that? No accountability at all . Trump's definitely got some 'splainin' to do . I don't know what the outcome is gonna be, but it'll be interesting to see how this plays out .

This is just so wild... I mean, who knew that one of the most powerful dudes in the world was just messing around with fake payments to keep his secret shenanigans under wraps? It's like something out of a bad 80s movie. And can we talk about how messed up it is that he allegedly lied about these payments on public records and financial forms? That's some serious corruption right there, you know? I'm not gonna lie, my initial reaction was "oh no, what have they done?" but then I started thinking about all the times Trump has been making false claims or downplaying his own scandals. It's like he thinks the truth doesn't apply to him or something? Anyway, I hope this case plays out and holds Trump accountable for his actions... it's time someone took him to task for being a bit of a dodgy player in the whole scheme of things.

Can you believe this?! Trump is finally getting what's coming to him? I mean, we all knew he was shady, but this is just crazy! A 34 felony count indictment? That's a lot of trouble, dude! He thinks he's above the law just because he's the former Prez? Newsflash: no one is above the law! And those payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal? Unbelievable. It's like, how many times do you have to get caught before you learn your lesson?

And can we talk about the fact that he lied on financial disclosure forms and public records? That's just basic decency, bro! If everyone did that, we'd all be in a world of trouble. Trump is setting a terrible precedent for future politicians. It's like, if you're gonna do something shady, own up to it and apologize, don't try to cover your tracks and lie about it .

This case is just another reason why I'm so glad he's no longer in office. The country needs some real leadership, not someone who thinks they can get away with anything

I'm not surprised to see Trump getting indicted over this whole Stormy Daniels thing. It's like he thinks he can just pay someone off to keep quiet and nobody will ever find out... Newsflash, Donald: that's not how it works anymore . The fact that he lied about these payments on financial disclosure forms is a huge red flag - it shows a complete lack of accountability and transparency.

And let's be real, this whole thing reeks of entitlement. Trump thinks he's above the law just because he's got a fancy title and a Twitter account . But the truth is, if you're gonna play with the big boys, you gotta follow the rules. And Trump hasn't exactly set an example for that.

I'm also kinda curious to see how this whole thing plays out - will he actually get convicted? Only time will tell . One thing's for sure though: this whole ordeal has gotta be a massive relief for some of the people who were affected by his actions .

Can't believe this is happening to old Donny ! He thought he was above the law, but it looks like his ego is finally catching up with him . I mean, come on, $130k for a quickie with some adult film actress? That's just laughable and now he's facing 34 felony counts? This is some serious stuff, fam!

And let me tell you, the whole "consulting services" thing for Karen McDougal? Please . We all know what was really going on there . Trump thinks he can just hire people to keep quiet and that's gonna fly under the radar? Not on my watch !

The worst part is, this case is a major escalation in the investigations into his business dealings and presidential campaign finances . If convicted, he could be looking at some serious time behind bars . Maybe this is the wake-up call Donny needs to shape up and start playing by the rules . Fingers crossed for that!

gotta ask, how come we just now finding out about this? Shouldn't someone been investigating this way back in 2016 when Trump was running for president? And what's with the timing of this indictment? Is it trying to distract us from something else? I need some sources on this one, folks. Where's the proof that Trump really didn't disclose these payments? He's already been accused of so many things... how do we know this one isn't just another fabrication?

oh man this is crazy like trump is in trouble now and it seems like he got caught red handed trying to hide some shady stuff from the public ... 130k to stormy daniels? that's wild and $500k to karen mcdougal? that's like, a whole other level of sneaky the fact that he lied about it on his financial disclosure forms is just so wrong i don't know how far down this rabbit hole goes but it's definitely looking like trump might be in for some serious trouble

this is wild he's been hiding all this behind a smile and a "fake news" facade for years now it makes me wonder how many more skeletons are gonna come out of that closet, like I remember when I was in college and my friends' older cousin got involved in some shady dealings with a politician... we always said if you're gonna mess around with the law, at least have the decency to own up to it, not make your people take the fall for you anyway