Trump paid out hush money -- money secured by a confidentiality agreement -- to his first wife in 1992, when he was not a candidate for public office. And again to his second wife in 1999, when he was not a candidate for public office (he did withhold a payment when she threatened to go public as he prepared his failed campaign for the Reform Party’s 2000 presidential nomination, which I guess could be taken as evidence that he “intended to influence the election”).
Who else has Trump paid for silence when he wasn’t a candidate for public office, and why? Who knows?
While it’s obvious that the upcoming presidential election was much on Donald Trump’s mind in October of 2016, it’s not obvious to me that someone paying sex-related hush money on his behalf is a “campaign contribution,” especially if he had other reasons (for example, the potential wrath of his third wife) to not want his sex life on the front page. And his history says he did in fact have other motivations.
I've not seen anything since to change my mind on the matter.
On the other hand, I'm not breaking out a violin -- not even the world's smallest violin -- to play a tearful tune and soothe Trump's pain over the felony convictions he just racked up. He's spent much of his life playing stupid games; he shouldn't whine when he wins stupid prizes.
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