You may have found out that Dino Sajudin is at the center of one of America’s biggest political scandals before he did.
The former Trump Tower doorman, who prosecutors say was paid $30,000 in exchange for his silence over a rumor that Donald Trump had fathered a child out of wedlock, is named in a 34-count felony indictment against the former president for election interference involving alleged hush money payments.
“I was in complete shock when I was informed by my attorney that I was cited in the statement of facts related to former President Trump’s Indictment as I was not given any forewarning that I would be included,” Sajudin told The New Yorker’s Ronan Farrow.
“I was never asked to appear before the Grand Jury, nor was I ever interviewed by the District Attorney’s Office.”
Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan District Attorney who charged the former president, only sought witnesses his office felt were necessary to secure an indictment to avoid leaks, a source told Farrow.
But a former prosecutor who previously tried a Trump associate believes the decision not to interview Sajudin was a mistake.
“When you are trying one of the most important cases in our lifetime, you want to make sure you know everything about your case so you’re not surprised about anything that may come up at trial,” said the prosecutor, who asked not to be named.
Farrow writes that “The decision highlights the unique perils of the Trump indictment, legally and politically.”
“Prosecutors will seek to establish that the offenses, which would typically be classified as misdemeanors, were undertaken with the goal of commissioning another crime, allowing them to be charged as felonies.”
Sajudin admits the interest in his role in the case has been a surprise.
“I thought this was just, like, a tabloid,” Sajudin told me. “Now I see it’s a lot more than that.”
ALSO IN THE NEWS: Watch what happens when The Daily Show’s Desi Lydic views Fox News’ coverage of Trump’s indictment for six days