Major news, John: a Manhattan grand jury has just voted to indict Donald Trump on criminal charges. [1] The charges stem from his $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels – which Common Cause first alerted authorities to back in 2018. [2]
We must immediately prepare for an onslaught of disinformation and even threats from Trump’s backers who believe he’s above the law. I hope we can count on you to speak up.
If you agree Trump is not above the law, join us in thanking the public servants working on this case who’ve put that into action – and urge them to hold firm against any far-right backlash or disinformation.
This is the first time a former U.S. president has ever been indicted – a shameful milestone for our nation.
But given Trump’s repeated, brazen wrongdoing – and his insistence that the rules that apply to everyone else don’t apply to him – the costs of inaction would be far, far greater.
Here’s what we know: in 2018, Common Cause filed campaign finance complaints with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Election Commission (FEC) urging them to investigate the $130,000 paid to Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about her relationship with Donald Trump so that the scandal would not influence the election.
During the investigation that followed, Trump’s personal lawyer and “fixer,” Michael Cohen, admitted to paying off Daniels on Donald Trump’s behalf – ultimately receiving a sentence of three years in federal prison and a $50,000 fine for multiple charges.
This payoff violated the same laws Common Cause has spent over 50 years working to strengthen and enforce – laws meant to advance transparency and ethics in government, and to keep our elections free from secret Big Money influence.
Now, a Manhattan grand jury has found probable cause to indict Trump himself on criminal charges related to his hush money payment to Stormy Daniels.
Even before this was official, Trump and his disinformation machine have been working to undermine the investigation. He’s planning a smear campaign against the DA’s office – with allies plotting a widespread pressure campaign over this indictment. [3]
John, we must hold firm against disinformation campaigns and pressure from extremists. This indictment is based on hours of sworn testimony from people with direct knowledge of what happened, including Michael Cohen himself.
Remember, this is just one of many investigations into Trump’s actions, including his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results – and how we all respond to this will set the tone for the future.
That’s why I’m grateful we live in a nation of laws – and thankful that Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg carried out this investigation despite massive political pressure to look the other way. If you agree, add your name to show your support for the rule of law – and to encourage District Attorney Bragg and our justice system to hold firm against extreme right-wing disinformation.
I’m glad to have you with us – on the side of truth and transparency.
Thanks for all you do,
Marilyn Carpinteyro, Interim Co-President
and the team at Common Cause
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/03/30/nyregion/trump-indictment-news
[2] https://www.commoncause.org/media/feccomplaintstormydaniels/
[3] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-hush-money-manhattan-stormy-daniels-b2302999.html
