Document Type

Opinion

Publication Date

5-19-2018

Department 1

Civil War Era Studies

Department 2

History

Abstract

Stormy Daniels would probably have never been much more than a name in the catalog of porn-movie stars had it not been for Michael Cohen.

On Jan. 12, the Wall Street Journal broke the story that Cohen, one of Donald Trump's personal lawyers, had paid Daniels [npr.org] - or arranged for Daniels to be paid -- $130,000 for her silence over an alleged affair she once had with the president. In a political climate jaded by the sexual shenanigans of politicians, many Americans were tempted to ask, "So what?"

Because, as they like to say in high-stakes poker, the Daniels affair represents a whole new opening. [excerpt]

Version

Version of Record

Required Publisher's Statement

The original article can be found on the publisher's website: https://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2018/05/this_is_why_americans_cant_shr.html

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