Stormy Daniels: who is the porn star who helped convict Trump

The US president becomes the first person to be convicted of a felony, ten days into his second inauguration

Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, is destined to go down in US history for having contributed, albeit indirectly, to making Donald Trump the first prejudiced president. Today, in fact, the sentence that convicted him of falsifying financial documents in connection with the illicit payment of $130,000 to keep quiet about their affair became final, and all this just ten days before his second inauguration in the White House.

Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Daniels started her career as a stripper and then entered the adult film industry. Her career was also marked by her role as a director. It was during a golf tournament in Lake Tahoe that Daniels met Trump, with whom she had an affair in 2006, a few months after the birth of Barron, Trump and Melania’s son. Her affair would have remained a secret, were it not for a payment made in 2016, shortly before the presidential election, to guarantee her silence about the affair.

Daniels’ legal battle began in January 2018, when the Wall Street Journal revealed Trump’s payment of $130,000 to prevent her story from spreading. Daniels filed suit to challenge the validity of the signed confidentiality agreement, with the initial representation of Michael Avenatti, a lawyer who would later have serious legal problems. Trump’s defence denied the affair, but admitted the payment.

Meanwhile, Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen has become a central figure in this legal process. Cohen, after pleading guilty to election law violations and tax evasion, testified that the payment to Daniels was made at Trump’s direct order to influence the 2016 presidential election. His revelations led to the opening of an investigation that led to Trump being charged with corporate fraud for recording the $130,000 as legal fees.

The affair also saw Daniels engaged in a lengthy and complicated defamation lawsuit against Trump, who had repeatedly called her a liar. Despite her legal battles, Daniels faced numerous public attacks and suffered defeats, including an order to pay $300,000 in legal fees for the defamation lawsuit. The 2022 appeal ruling saw Trump declare his ‘complete victory’.

Today’s conviction marks a new chapter in this legal saga, confirming that the payment and coverage of his content was the result of a fraudulent operation, which had a direct impact on the 2016 election and Trump’s image as president.

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(Photo: © AndKronos)