The investigation into hush money payments made by former President Donald Trump to women who allegedly had affairs with him has hit a roadblock. The investigation has been ongoing for several years and has led to the indictment of several of Trump’s associates. However, this week has been particularly turbulent, with new developments and distractions that have stalled progress in the investigation.
Trump Hush Money Investigation Update
The hush money investigation centers around payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. The payments were made in 2016, allegedly to keep the women quiet about their affairs with Trump. The investigation has been led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
In 2018, Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations related to the payments. He implicated Trump in the scheme, saying that he made the payments at Trump’s direction. Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison, of which he served two years before being released to home confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the investigation has continued, with prosecutors looking into whether other individuals, including Trump himself, were involved in the payments.
Turbulent Week Stalls Progress
This week has been particularly chaotic, with several developments that have taken attention away from the hush money investigation. On Monday, the FBI raided the home and office of Trump’s former attorney Rudy Giuliani, seizing electronic devices and documents. Giuliani has been under investigation for his role in Ukraine-related activities that were at the center of Trump’s first impeachment.
On Wednesday, Trump’s personal blog, which he had launched after being banned from social media platforms, was shut down after just a month. The blog had received little traffic and was widely mocked on social media. Trump’s team said that the blog was a temporary measure while they built a new platform, but it was seen as a sign of Trump’s declining influence.
Finally, on Thursday, the FDA announced that it would authorize the use of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged 12-15. This was seen as a major milestone in the fight against COVID-19, and dominated news coverage for much of the day. While not directly related to the hush money investigation, the news further distracted attention from the ongoing probe.
The Trump hush money investigation has been a long and complicated affair, and this week’s developments have only added to the uncertainty. It remains to be seen whether progress will be made in the coming weeks and months, and whether Trump or his associates will face any charges related to the payments. However, with distractions and other news stories dominating the headlines, it’s clear that the investigation has been pushed to the back burner for the time being.
