If Trump were to be indicted by a Manhattan grand jury in connection to preelection hush payments to porn star Stormy Daniels over an alleged affair, legal and campaign finance experts have speculated a case surrounding two-time Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards may offer insight for Trump's legal strategy.
Reports in recent weeks have indicated Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is seeking to couple a misdemeanor charge over an alleged falsification of business records with a campaign finance violation to achieve a felony charge. However, legal experts told the Washington Examiner that any such attempt would be an uphill battle.
Trump was president at the time the Justice Department went after Cohen for the payments. The attorney ultimately pleaded guilty in 2018 to a litany of charges, including a campaign finance violation. But Brand argued there is"no legal precedent" for a prosecutor to view the definition of campaign contribution so broadly as to lump the misdemeanor charges to achieve a felony count.
"The distinction here is so vast, and it's clear to anyone," Tacopina said, calling Bragg's investigation a"weaponization of the prosecutor's office."