Washington, US.
The criminal case against former President Donald Trump, which was revealed on Tuesday, stems not only from his high-profile alleged relationship with porn star Stormy Daniels, but also from another relationship with Playboy model Karen McDougal.
McDougal is a 52-year-old former model and actress from Indiana who was named Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Year in the late 1990s. She said the affair happened again in 2006 and 2007. Mr Trump has denied having a sexual relationship with her. Her
American Media Inc. (AMI), the parent company of the National Enquirer, gave McDougall her $150,000 to prevent her from publishing her articles before the 2016 presidential election. Prosecutors said in Tuesday's indictment that Trump did not want the woman's story to become public. Former AMI CEO David Pecker said Trump agreed to compensate AMI. But Mr. Pecker said he ultimately decided not to seek a refund after speaking with the company's lawyers.
The Federal Election Commission found his 2021 AMI payments to McDougal constitute illegal campaign contributions benefiting Trump and fined his successor company $187,500. McDougal later sued her AMI, reached a settlement, and discussed her relationship with Trump. Trump denies having had sexual relations with either woman, but admits he compensated Cohen.