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Donald Trump has walked away from the Mueller report, but he’s still under cloud

The Mueller Report found no evidence Mr Trump colluded with Russia.

The Mueller Report found no evidence Mr Trump colluded with Russia. Photo: Getty

US President Donald Trump has walked away from the Mueller report, which found no evidence he colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election.

But he remains under a cloud for numerous other scandals, following the release of a summary of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report by Attorney-General William Barr.

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of some of the investigations, inquiries and lawsuits hanging over Mr Trump’s head.

Hush money

New York federal prosecutors have implicated Mr Trump in a “hush money” scheme to pay off two women during the election campaign.

In a violation of campaign finance laws, adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal were paid off to keep quiet during the election about alleged affairs.

Ms Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, has been ordered to pay more than $US290,000 to Mr Trump in legal fees after losing a defamation lawsuit she brought against him.

Mr Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen was jailed last year after admitting to paying off the women to influence the election.

The president has told Fox News he didn’t know about the payments until later on.

Defamation suit 

Summer Zervos, a former contestant on The Apprentice, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Mr Trump after he called her a liar on the campaign trail for claiming he sexually assaulted her in 2007.

Mr Trump has reportedly agreed to provide written answers to questions after the lawsuit was allowed to proceed in New York state court.

Ms Zervos claims Mr Trump kissed her against her will and later groped her at a meeting.

Inauguration funding

Federal prosecutors are also probing the $107 million raised by Mr Trump’s inauguration committee for the January 2017 event. Republican consultant Sam Patten in September admitted he arranged for a “straw donor” to give $50,000 for tickets to the inauguration on behalf of a Ukrainian businessman.

US campaigns and inaugural committees are banned from taking donations from foreigners.

New York prosecutors in February subpoenaed the inauguration committee for records of spending and donors.

Rebuilding America Now 

New York prosecutors in the Southern District have also been looking into super PAC Rebuilding America Now, which fundraises for political activities. The New York Times reported in December that prosecutors were conducting interviews into whether former chief campaign manager Paul Manafort illegally co-ordinated with the super PAC to take donations from people in Qatar.

Separately, Manafort was found guilty of eight charges of tax fraud, bank fraud and failing to disclose foreign bank accounts. The jury last year failed to reach a verdict on another 10 charges.

Insurance

The New York Department of Financial Services subpoenaed Aon, the Trump Organisation’s insurance broker, the New York Times reported. It came days after Cohen gave evidence that the Trump Organisation exaggerated its assets to insurance companies.

The Trump Foundation

The Donald J Trump Foundation agreed to dissolve in December, but a suit from New York Attorney-General Barbara Underwood’s office continues. She accused the foundation of engaging in “a shocking pattern of illegality”, including to serve Mr Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Mr Trump says the lawsuit is politically motivated.

Emoluments lawsuit

The Democratic attorneys-general of Maryland and Washington DC in have claimed Mr Trump’s DC hotel violated the emoluments clause of the constitution, which bars federal officials from accepting any benefit from a foreign government.

The lawsuit, filed in June 2017, has been allowed to proceed but Mr Trump’s lawyers have appealed.

Congress investigations

The House Judiciary Committee is investigating whether Mr Trump obstructed justice, broke campaign finance laws or misused office for personal gain, and whether he has abused his power.

The House Oversight Committee is also looking into concerns, reported by The New York Times, that Mr Trump overruled intelligence officials to obtain security clearance for his son-in-law Jared Kushner.

NBC News also reported a White House appointee intervened to give security clearances to 30 staffers.

Democrat Richard Neal, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, has said he plans to subpoena Mr Trump’s tax returns.

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