MSNBC chief legal correspondent and anchor of The Beat, Ari Melber, explained on Wednesday that it appears longtime Donald Trump lawyer Michael Cohen broke either attorney rules or the law in the "hush money" payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels.
"Our top story tonight is both bizarre and important, this right here," Melber noted, holding up a copy of Stormy Danial lawsuit. "President Donald Trump is playing the role of defendant and potential victim. Stormy Daniels is suing him in this brand-new case, Trump lawyer Michael Cohen still trying to squash any discussion of allegations of this past relationship."
"The new suit arguing Daniels should be able to speak out about that alleged relationship, and it makes two arguments," Melber noted. "One, free speech should allow discussion about the president, but two, Trump didn't technically sign it."
Melber noted that Cohen, Trump's lawyer, may no be finding himself in hot water.
"Under the rules that govern lawyers, Michael Cohen is not allowed to donate his own money on Trump's behalf," Melber noted. "So either, he was reimbursed, or he broke these rules to fund this particular payment for Trump, in other words, he's got a problem either way."
And at the heart of "hush money" payments is whether Trump was compromised.
"The prospect that is alluded to here is a president that would with a potential victim of blackmail, of extortion, of yes, foreign compromise," Melber concluded. "This is a difficult and toxic circle to be tightening around a president, who at this hour is also under criminal investigation Bob Mueller is doing into an alleged international conspiracy."
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