Trump defends 'hush money' to porn actress as calls grow for impeachment

US President Donald Trump has defended hush money payments to his former lovers a day after Democrats in Congress said he could face impeachment and jail time if the transactions are proven to violate election campaign finance laws.

In a tweet on Monday, Trump said Democrats were wrongly targeting “a simple private transaction” after court filings last week drew renewed attention to payments by his longtime personal attorney Michael Cohen to two women during the 2016 campaign so they would not discuss sexual affairs with Trump.

On Sunday, US Representative Jerrold Nadler, who will lead the Judiciary Committee in the House of Representatives when Democrats take control of the lower chamber next month, said if the payments were found to violate campaign finance laws, they would be an impeachable offence.

His Democratic counterpart on the House Intelligence Committee, Representative Adam Schiff, said Trump could be indicted and could “face the real prospect of jail time.”

Under US law, contributions to election campaigns, defined as things of value given to a campaign to influence voters, must be disclosed. Such payments are also limited to $2,700 per person.

PressTV-Trump may have committed ‘impeachable offense’: US Rep

US President Donald Trump might have committed offenses that are punishable by impeachment, a top Democrat in Congress says.

Trump earlier this year acknowledged repaying his former lawyer Cohen for the $130,000 paid to adult film actress Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels. He previously denied knowing anything about the payments.

On Monday, the president again denied wrongdoing and shifted any blame on Cohen.

“There was NO COLLUSION. So now the Dems go to a simple private transaction, wrongly call it a campaign contribution, which it was not,” Trump tweeted. “But even if it was, it is only a CIVIL CASE, like Obama’s - but it was done correctly by a lawyer and there would not even be a fine. Lawyer’s liability if he made a mistake, not me.”

PressTV-14 Trump associates interacted with Russians: Report

US media reports suggest Russians made contact with at least 14 associates of Donald Trump during his campaign and presidential transition.

US prosecutors at the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller on Friday sought prison time for Cohen, Trump’s self-proclaimed “fixer,” for the payments directed by Trump as well as on charges of evading taxes and lying to Congress.

The case stemmed from a federal investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with Trump’s campaign.

Russia has denied interfering in the election and Trump said his campaign did not cooperate with Moscow.

The Washington Post reported Sunday that Russian citizens made contact with at least 14 of Trump’s associates during his 18-month election campaign and presidential transition period.

The Russians included Moscow’s ambassador to Washington, a deputy prime minister, a weightlifter, a lawyer and a Soviet army veteran with alleged intelligence ties, the report said.

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