Article snippet: Cohen pleaded guilty last year to violating campaign finance law by arranging payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, and Playboy centerfold Karen McDougal after they claimed they had affairs with President Trump. The president denies the allegations. In May, Cohen began a three-year stint in federal prison. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan revealed Thursday that its investigation into Cohen’s campaign finance violations included an inquiry into whether other people gave false statements or obstructed justice — a broader scope than the office had previously acknowledged. “We are pleased that the investigation surrounding these ridiculous campaign finance allegations is now closed,” Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow said on Wednesday. “We have maintained from the outset that the President never engaged in any campaign finance violation.” Critics of President Trump long predicted the investigation would lead to charges and ultimately the downfall of the president. “Donald Trump is either going to resign. He’s going to be removed from office by impeachment, or I’m going to beat him in 2020,” Michael Avenatti, who served as Daniels’ lawyer at the time, said in an interview with NPR in August. The Trump-hating lawyer now faces federal charges in New York and California. Conversely, esteemed lawyer Alan Dershowitz repeatedly argued there was never actually a case against President Trump. “The president doesn’t break the law if, as ... Link to the full article to read more