Directions: Read the summary, watch the video and then answer the discussion questions. Your students may find it helpful to follow along using the transcript.

Summary: Early December court filings by federal prosecutors and Special Counsel Robert Mueller have shifted attention to the hush money payments made on President Donald Trump’s behalf during his 2016 presidential campaign to two women with whom he had allegedly had affairs. Prosecutors’ filings added more detail to their case against Michael Cohen, President Trump’s longtime lawyer and fixer, who they say violated federal election law. Prosecutors say “Cohen sought to influence the election from the shadows” and intentionally trying to subvert the 2016 presidential election. Trump originally said he did not know anything about the payments and that he has nothing to do with them. Cohen had already pleaded guilty to other charges of campaign finance violations in August.

December 11, 2018 video and resource materials from PBS NewsHour.

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