What is being claimed is that the twelve $35,000 a month checks written to Cohen by Trump beginning in Feb. 2017 were payments for 2016 hushmoney payments and legal fees by Cohen on Trump's behalf. The evidence so far are Trump's check stubs and Cohen's invoices with details of the charges. Trump is not so stupid as to write Cohen a check for $420,000 just before the election. Apparently Trump didn't think that payments of $35,000 a month for legal fees of the Trump Organization would be question after the election. He was wrong.