Donald Trump charges: does ex-US President have out-of-wedlock child? Trump Tower doorman claims explained

A former Trump Tower doorman claimed Donald Trump had an extramarital affair which resulted in the birth of an illegitimate child.
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A former Trump Tower doorman was paid $30,000 to silence his claims that Donald Trump had fathered a child out of wedlock, charges against him say.

On Tuesday (4 April), the former US President pleaded not guilty to 43 felony counts of falsifying business records and conspiring to influence the 2016 presidential election. Reading out the details of the indictment, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg claimed that Trump, alongside others, had orchestrated a so-called “catch and kill” scheme to “identify, purchase, and bury negative information” about himself in order to “boost his electoral prospects”.

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Prosecutors alleged that this was done via hush money agreements, with payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels, who claimed she had sex with Trump in 2006 - and to Playboy model Karen McDougal, who said she had an extramarital affair with the Republican.

However, a previously unknown hush money recipient was also revealed on the indictment. The court filing detailed a payment of $30,000 made by American Media Inc (AMI) to a former doorman at Trump Tower, who claimed to have knowledge of an affair which allegedly led to the birth of an illegitimate child. Trump has denied the allegations.

Here’s everything you need to know about the claims - as well as which other hush money payments were included in the indictment.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an event at Mar-a-Lago April 4, 2023 in West Palm Beach, Florida after pleading not guilty to 34 felony counts at Manhattan Criminal Court House. Credit: Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an event at Mar-a-Lago April 4, 2023 in West Palm Beach, Florida after pleading not guilty to 34 felony counts at Manhattan Criminal Court House. Credit: Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an event at Mar-a-Lago April 4, 2023 in West Palm Beach, Florida after pleading not guilty to 34 felony counts at Manhattan Criminal Court House. Credit: Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

Out-of-wedlock child

One of the hush money agreements revealed in the indictment was of a $30,000 payment made to a former Trump Tower doorman, who claimed to have a story about an out-of-wedlock child fathered by Trump. It says the payment was made by America Media Inc (AMI), the publisher of The National Enquirer - the supermarket tabloid that was allied with Trump.

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The indictment’s statement of facts read: “In or about October or November 2015, the AMI CEO learned that a former Trump Tower doorman, (the “Doorman”), was trying to sell information regarding a child that the defendant had allegedly fathered out of wedlock. At the direction of AMI’s CEO, AMI negotiated and signed an agreement to pay the Doorman $30,000 to acquire exclusive rights to the story.”

The document claimed that the information was purchased without “fully investigating the claims”, but that the AMI CEO “directed that the deal take place” because of his “agreement with the Defendant and Lawyer A.” Lawyer A is understood to be Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen.

AMI later came to believe that the story was not true, according to the statement of facts, but was “instructed” by Lawyer A (Cohen) “not to release the Doorman until after the [2016] presidential election”. The AMI CEO complied with that instruction, the document concluded.

One recipient of a Trump hush money payment, who claimed the former US President had fathered a child out of wedlock, used to work as a doorman at Trump Tower. Credit: Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesOne recipient of a Trump hush money payment, who claimed the former US President had fathered a child out of wedlock, used to work as a doorman at Trump Tower. Credit: Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images
One recipient of a Trump hush money payment, who claimed the former US President had fathered a child out of wedlock, used to work as a doorman at Trump Tower. Credit: Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal

The other hush money payments concern adult film star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal, both of whom claimed they had extramarital sexual encounters with Trump.

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Ms Daniels said she and Trump had sex in 2006, and, 12 days prior to the 2016 presidential election, was paid $130,000 - transferred by Cohen - to allegedly silence her claims. Ms McDougal meanwhile was paid $150,000, to allegedly stop her speaking out about an affair she said she had with Trump.

This payment, like the one to the “Doorman”, was made by AMI.

Does Donald Trump have children?

With his first wife Ivana, who recently passed away, Trump had three children - Donald Junior, Ivanka, and Eric Trump. The former US President was married to Ivana from 1977 until 1992.

Trump then married his second wife Marla Maples in 1993, with whom he had a daughter called Tiffany Trump. He and Marla divorced in 1999.

With his current wife, Melania Trump, Trump has one child - Barron Trump. Trump and Melania married in 2005.

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