I'm still confused (Trump trial).

[RandomNumbers]

5. I agree that it would be good to get clear on this point.

Unfortunately, it seems the media prefers to dumb things down rather then spell out crystal-clear details.

My summary would be as follows - "dumbed down" by necessity because I am not that smart about it and haven't had time to chase down all the details:

1. Michael Cohen went to jail due to pleading guilty to several criminal charges related to the payment to Stormy Daniels.
2. Trump was essentially found guilty of participating in a conspiracy with Cohen to do the things Cohen went to jail for.

If Cohen's actions broke laws, but he was directed by Trump to do those actions, and PAID by Trump to do those actions - which is essentially a big part of what the recent trial found - then it's pretty clear that what Trump did was a crime. Misdemeanor or felony? That is where "covering up another crime" comes in.

3. Trump did attempt to hide his involvement, that is pretty clear. The trial details list out various documents that he falsified. These were falsified to cover up the crimes that he conspired with Cohen to do.

Okay, clear as mud perhaps, but I guess the first thing is to understand, what were the crimes Cohen did, that Trump conspired with him about, then falsified business records to cover up?

From Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Cohen_(lawyer)

In August 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to eight counts including campaign-finance violations, tax fraud, and bank fraud. Cohen said he violated campaign-finance laws at Trump's direction "for the principal purpose of influencing" the 2016 presidential election. In November 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to U.S. congressional committees about efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.

In December 2018, Cohen was sentenced to three years in federal prison and ordered to pay a $50,000 fine. In February 2019, the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, disbarred him from practicing law in the state.

Does that help?