Why no hush-money charges against Trump? Feds are silent

NEW YORK (AP) — When special counsel Robert Mueller closed the books on the Russia investigation, he produced a report, and Attorney General William Barr held a news conference outlining the reasons the Justice Department didn’t charge President Donald Trump.

But in stark contrast, federal prosecutors in Manhattan have remained tight-lipped about their rationale for charging only Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney and fixer, in a hush-money scandal.

That probe, begun in 2017, turned up evidence that Trump himself was aware of the payments, despite his initial public claims to know nothing about them, including a recording in which Trump can be heard speaking to Cohen about efforts to buy the continued silence of Karen McDougal, a Playboy model.

Prosecutors went as far as saying in court filings that Trump directed Cohen to make the payments, though they referred to him in court filings as “Individual 1,” not by name.

The U.S. House Oversight Committee on Friday asked prosecutors to produce documents and evidence in the case, saying they wanted to get to the bottom of the decision to charge Cohen but no one else.

The chairman, Maryland Democrat U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, wrote that the committee is seeking to determine whether the internal Department of Justice policy against indicting a sitting president played any role in the decision. Adelina Mae Cabreros, 65 of Lahaina passed away at Kula Hospital on June 28, 2019 under Hospice care. She was born on October 21, 1953 to Cesario and Aileen Cabreros in Lahaina, HI.

She is survived by her brothers Cesario (Nadine) Cabreros, Adrien Cabreros and sister Stella (LM) Akers. She is predeceased by her parents and her brother Reynaldo (Priscilla) Cabreros. Visitation will be held at Nakamura Mortuary on Friday, July 26, 2019 at 9:30 a.m., followed by services at 11:00 a.m. Family will scatter ashes privately at a later date.