This weekend, news broke that Stormy Daniels, the adult film star and one-time paramour of misogynist sociopath Donald "Rump" Trump, had taped an exclusive interview with CBS's 60 Minutes. Immediately, Rump's personal legal team threatened to seek an injunction to prevent Daniels' interview to be aired. The interview is scheduled to air next Sunday on 60 Minutes, according to sources at CBS. While the Stormy Saga started as something of a sideshow, the scandal has grown to have real legal implications for Rump's personal lawyer/fixer Michael Cohen, for Rump's campaign organization, and Rump himself.
Cohen set up a shell company, "EC LLC," to launder the money allegedly from his own banking account to pay Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about the affair with Rump just before the election, a violation of Federal election laws, which if directed by Rump (who else?), would land on him. Daniels' lawyer is arguing that Rump never signed the non-disclosure agreement, so it's unenforceable. Meanwhile CBS will claim that, since it's not a party to the non-disclosure agreement, it's free to air the interview. The bad news for Rump is that there's the legal concept of "prior restraint" under the First Amendment, where courts have ruled that injunctions to prevent free speech/press freedom of the kind threatened by Rump's lawyers is the wrong way to deal with such matters, with injured parties having defamation and libel laws as a remedy.
Meanwhile, the New York Times' Charles Blow has a take on Rump's third wife Melania, who knew very well what she was in for when she married the vulgar, unfaithful monster:
"When Donald first meets Melania, they are at a New York Fashion Week party to which Donald has been invited by the wealthy Italian businessman who brought Melania to America on a modeling contract and work visa. According to GQ, sometimes, to promote his models, the businessman 'would send a few girls to an event and invite photographers, producers, and rich playboys.'She must be under a pre-nup that gives Rump the upper hand. In return, Melania gets the trappings of wealth and power, along with a sad, humiliating existence next to her vile man.
Trump is on a date with another woman that night. He is also in the process of divorcing Marla Maples, his second wife, with whom he had had an affair while still married to his first wife, Ivana Trump.
According to GQ, 'He sent his companion to the bathroom so he could have a few minutes to chat up the model he’d noticed. But Melania knew of Trump’s reputation — which was immediately confirmed by the fact that he had come to the party with a date and was now asking for her number.'” (emphasis added)
BONUS: Daniels has offered to return the $130,000 to Cohen/EC LLC as a demonstration that the non-disclosure agreement is truly null and void. Your move, Cohen. And as always, the musical accompaniment to the Stormy Saga.
