Why did Cohen have to front the money for Stormy's payoff?

[OAITW r.2.0]

Trump is a BILLIONAIRE! Why couldn't he pay the money to Cohen who then funnels the money to Stormy's lawyer? Why does Cohen have to take a line of credit against his house to make this happen?

[GreenWave]

1. Perhaps to set him up as the fall guy?

[elleng]

2. Tmp's cheap,

and cohen wanted to 'serve' him. (that was THEN.)

[SomedayKindaLove]

15. Yep, and Cohen had no guarantee of being in Trump's administration

So the cult member risks his house and offers Trump this favor in hopes of increasing his chances of Trump taking him to Washington? Trump gets to soak up some major ass kissing from a cult member, knowing if the story does break before the election he just won’t pay Cohen back. Protected investment, kind of like what he did with the magazine poll he rigged.

Cults be crazy like that.

[NJCher]

3. Because trump is cheap and was trying

to get out of paying her. Cohen knew she had other media options, among them ABC news, and was trying to keep her from going public with the story.

[Ocelot II]

4. Plausible deniability. It was how they decided to launder the payment.

It's really at the heart of the whole case. Cohen fronted the money, then Trump reimbursed him with checks falsely designated as legal fees.

[OAITW r.2.0]

9. That sounds right.

[FalloutShelter]

10. This

[bamagal62]

11. That was the plan,

I suppose.

[Irish_Dem]

5. Plausible deniability for Trump? And possibly scamming Cohen?

Trump didn't want the money going to Cohen before the payment to Stormy was made?

Was less risky for Trump to cook the books after the fact?

And/or perhaps he was thinking of stiffing Cohen for the money.
Trump was going to the WH and not bringing Cohen along.
So he could stiff Cohen for the money.

Cohen was getting worried about that.
Weisselberg had to reassure him he would get paid.

[Upthevibe]

6. OAITW r.2.0......

I think that's a very good question.

It confuses me too. Why couldn't dt (and I think at times he did for other nefarious purposes) just given it to Cohen and say it was a bonus? I don't think you have to really explain a bonus (but I'm not sure). It seems like it got really complicated.

[Irish_Dem]

7. You are thinking like an innocent person.

It is a fact that guilty and innocent people act quite differently.

Trump was a seasoned criminal and used to covering his tracks six ways to Sunday.
Innocent people don't think like that.

[bamagal62]

12. He thinks like

And wants to be a mob boss. Same reason he speaks in code. Doesn’t want his fingers on it. Makes those that adore him or are afraid of him do it for him.

[Irish_Dem]

17. Exactly.

So sometimes innocent people have a hard time figuring out what the seasoned criminal is doing.
Because innocent people just don't think or act like criminals.

Innocent people are not always covering their tracks, distancing themselves from the crime.
Giving themselves an out and explanation if caught.

Trump did this with his sexual crimes too.

[bamagal62]

19. So true!

Innocent people can’t believe that someone would take advantage of them. I sometimes fall into that trap because I believe that people are good. And, then I get screwed. I’m Learning that many people aren’t good. Which is kind of depressing. .

[Irish_Dem]

21. Criminals take advantage of the fact that normal people don't assume the worst

about everyone right off the bat. And we have a basic level of trust for the people around us.

There are good people and bad people. I think the good people outnumber the bad people.
But the bad people make more of an impression on us and of course hurt us more.

[walkingman]

8. I think it was because Trump, like a mob boss, has learned that you should never

do anything shady yourself - have a surrogate do it, and then it can never come back to you. He probably learned it from his father and has reportedly done it his entire life.
Regardless how this trial comes out, I think common sense tells you he did it but dodgeing legal consequences is his defination of the "Art of the Deal".
And sadly, he could possibly be the leader of the free world again. If so, it says a lot about Americans.

[bamagal62]

18. His mobster

Mentality is what worries me the most. They know how to get away and hide shit. Worries me.

[Jacson6]

13. Cohen wasn't smart enough to tell Trump...

to send the payment from his financial department. Cohen also should just have been an attorney at a law firm rather then Trump's personal attorney. YMMV. IMHO.

[jmowreader]

14. My theory...

If Trump didn't win the election he wasn't going to reimburse Cohen.

[OAITW r.2.0]

16. That comports with Trump's business track record. If he loses, Cohen is left holding the bag.

If he wins, he has to pay Cohen back.

[wiggs]

20. If he wins potus, no reason to pay cohen back either. Cheating is winning, lying is winning, getting over on

your attorney or contractor is winning, grabbin P is winning, adultery is winning, causing pain and suffering is winning, stealing docs is winning, blackmailing Ukraine is winning.

This is who he is.

[marble falls]

22. TFG stiffs any and everybody.