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Hush money payments
Main article: Stormy Daniels–Donald Trump scandal
See also: Legal affairs of Donald Trump § Payments related to alleged affairs, and Karen McDougal § Alleged affair with Donald Trump
During the 2016 presidential election campaign, American Media, Inc. (AMI), the parent company of the National Enquirer,[533] and a company set up by Cohen paid Playboy model Karen McDougal and adult film actress Stormy Daniels for keeping silent about their alleged affairs with Trump between 2006 and 2007.[534] Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to breaking campaign finance laws, saying he had arranged both payments at the direction of Trump to influence the presidential election.[535] Trump denied the affairs and claimed he was not aware of Cohen's payment to Daniels, but he reimbursed him in 2017.[536][537] Federal prosecutors asserted that Trump had been involved in discussions regarding non-disclosure payments as early as 2014.[538] Court documents showed that the FBI believed Trump was directly involved in the payment to Daniels, based on calls he had with Cohen in October 2016.