Overnight, CNN was given an audio copy of a conversation between Donald Trump and Michael Cohen that shows Cohen in the process of setting up a corporation to kill the story of former Playboy model Karen McDougal following a lengthy affair with Trump. After CNN announced they had the audio, Trump’s legal team distributed a transcript, along with their interpretation suggesting that Trump was just bumbling past something that, Rudy Giuliani said, “He didn’t understand.”
The Washington Post’s annotated version of the transcript covers the critical sections of the conversation—which also includes Trump shouting at someone to bring him a Coke and food, as well as bragging on a poll and talking about something else that’s not clearly understood. After discussing efforts by the New York Times to gain access to the divorce papers with former wife Ivanka—papers that were expected to include claims of sexual assault—Trump and Cohen both conclude that the divorce papers are safe and move on to a new topic.
Cohen: Um, told you about Charleston. Um, I need to open up a company for the transfer of all of that info regarding our friend, David, you know, so that — I’m going to do that right away. I’ve actually come up and I’ve spoken —
The “David” mentioned here is David Pecker, CEO of the company that owns the National Enquirer. The National Enquirer “caught and killed” McDougal’s story, signing her to an “exclusive” that turned out to be a nondisclosure in disguise. No matter what Giuilani says, the fact that Cohen is able to launch into this with no more description than “all of that info” and “our friend David” shows that this is something he and Trump have already planned. Cohen and Trump then review exactly how they will make the payoff. Critically, Cohen says he has spoken to Allen Weisselberg. Weisselberg is the CFO for the Trump Organization, and his knowledge of the payoff means that the payoff was discussed outside of conversations between Trump and Cohen.
Then there’s some concern over whether the National Enquirer will actually sit on the story, especially if someone other than Pecker has a say. In this section. This section includes another critical bit—just how much Trump is paying for this cover-up.
Trump: So, what do we got to pay for this? One-fifty?
Cohen: … Funding . . . Yes. Um, and it’s all the stuff.
Trump already knows what he’s paying and what he’s getting for it. That would seem to make an argument that he was “ignorant” about this deal seem very difficult to make. After the “how much” the conversation turns to “how” and this is the most damning section of the conversation.
Cohen: I spoke to Allen about it, when it comes time for the financing, which will be —
Trump: Wait a sec, what financing?
Cohen: Well, I’ll have to pay him something.
Trump: [UNINTELLIGIBLE] pay with cash …
There are two points here—Trump clearly doesn’t want the information on the official Trump Organization books. And, equally important, no one is talking about paying off McDougal. They’re talking about paying off David Pecker. They are paying Pecker to pretend he is going to publish the article, with the full intent that he never will.
There’s a technical name for this: Conspiracy.
On the finance side of the equation, Rudy Giuliani has claimed that Trump’s mention of “cash” here means that he just wants to make a single payment, not pay with “green cash.” However, the in-context statement suggests that’s exactly what Trump wants. He responds furiously to the suggestion that the payment is going to come from Weisselberg, and in the next portion, contrasts “cash” with “check.”
Cohen: No, no, no, no, no. I got it.
Trump: ... check.
The crosstalk between Cohen and Trump here kills part of the conversation—making it likely this was why Trump’s team was eager to get out the transcript. But from the audio and in context of the other statements, it doesn’t seem that Trump is encouraging a check—he’s dismissing the idea.
A side mystery: Twice in the conversation Cohen mentions “Charleston” or “the Charleston thing.” Trump had an upcoming rally at Charleston on the date of the conversation, but why it would be on Cohen’s mind, or connected to this conversation, isn’t at all clear.