Chronology of the Trump "Hush Money" Trial
In March of 2018, CNN's Anderson Cooper interviews Karen McDougal about her affair with Donald Trump
January 22, 2005
Donald Trump marries his third wife, Melania.
September 2005
Trump and Access Hollywood emcee Billy Bush discuss women on a hot mic in a bus on the way to a studio in Los Angeles. Trump tells Bush, “When you’re a star, they let you do it—grab them by the p---y.”
March 20, 2006
Melania Trump, wife of Donald Trump, gives birth to their only child, Baron.
June 2006 to April 2007
According to Karen McDougal, a former Playboy playmate, she and Donald Trump have a consensual affair.
July 2006
Trump and adult film star Stormy Daniels meet at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe and have sex. Trump continues to call Daniels in the months that follow.
2011
According to Daniels, she agrees to tell the story of her affair with Trump to a reporter for a tabloid. Daniels says soon afterwards she and her family are threatened by a man in a Las Vegas parking lot. Daniels, fearing for her safety, decides not to go ahead with the story.
June 16, 2015
Trumps announces he is seeking the Republican nomination for president of the United States.
June 2016
David Pecker, owner and publisher of the National Enquirer, learns that Karen McDougal is shopping a story about her 10-month affair with Trump.
September 2016
Trying to help the Trump campaign, Pecker pays McDougal $150,000 to “catch and kill” her story.
October 7, 2016
The “Access Hollywood” tape in which Trump makes crude remarks about women is posted online.
October 8, 2016
David Pecker learns that Stormy Daniels is shopping her story about her affair with Trump.
Prosecution Summation Slide 8: Timeline
October 26, 2016
Michael Cohen establishes an LLC and through the LLC pays the lawyer for Stormy Daniels $130,000 to “catch-and-kill” her story about her affair with Trump.
November 4, 2016
The Wall Street Journal contacts the White House for comment on a story it plans to run about the campaign attempting to keep from the public stories about the McDougal and Daniels affairs. Trump advisor Hope Hicks tells the WSJ that the White House has no knowledge of the alleged agreements to keep the two women silent.
November 8, 2016
Trump is elected president of the United States.
January 2017
The Trump organization begins reimbursing Cohen for the $130,000 he paid Stormy Daniels, falsely recording the amounts as payments for retained legal services.
March 2018
Karen McDougal is interviewed by CNN’s Anderson Cooper about her affair with Trump.
March 30, 2023
Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg secures a 34-count indictment against Trump relating to falsifying business records concerning the hush money to Stormy Daniels.
February 15, 2024
Judge Merchan denies defense motions, including motion to dismiss charges against Trump
April 15, 2024
The “hush money” trial of Donald Trump, the first ever criminal trial of a president or former president, opens in New York City.
April 22, 2024
Opening arguments are presented in the Trump trial.
April 30, 2024
Judge Merchan finds Donald Trump in contempt of court for violating his gag order.
May 28, 2024
Closing arguments are presented in the Trump “hush money” trial.
May 30, 2024
The jury finds Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts.