# Stormy Daniels--why exactly $130,000? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [April 29, 2024, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stormy-daniels-why-exactly-130-000/1000912 "2024-04-29T11:00:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stormy-daniels-why-exactly-130-000/1000912/21 "2024-04-30T10:34:13Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > I’m not a perfect human being, but I can say that there is no amount that would get me to accept hush money. My dignity is not for sale Hell, for the right money my dignity can be rented with an option to buy. Let’s talk! ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stormy-daniels-why-exactly-130-000/1000912/22 "2024-04-30T12:53:11Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > This seems unnecessary I, on the other hand, commend her great courage in doing so. She may be a gold digger, something I have no opinion to comment upon, but she is incredibly brave to have entered into any form of relationship with that bloviating orange twerp. Not so sure what Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal were hoping for, but again, I salute their bravery. I hope the orange misogynist is completely destroyed by (at least the second and third) women, and is finally divorced by the first. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stormy-daniels-why-exactly-130-000/1000912/23 "2024-04-30T12:55:42Z")
Another way to approach this might be to ask Americans here the minimum amount of money it would take for them to cast their November presidential vote for the major party candidate they oppose. Ignoring the party-poopers like me who’ll claim infinity, maybe the average will wind up damn close to $130,000! ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stormy-daniels-why-exactly-130-000/1000912/24 "2024-04-30T14:40:51Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > I’m not a perfect human being, but I can say that there is no amount that would get me to accept hush money. My dignity is not for sale, and neither is my freedom of speech. This comes up a lot in personal injury (and employement) settlements. The defense almost always wants the amount of settlement confidential, which is often fine with our clients (“I don’t want anyone knowing how much money I just got”), but not really good for society. It would be better if we could tell everyone that CorpTronic just paid $5 million because it’s potato peeler frequently exploded frequently. The bigger problem is when they also request “non disparagement.” That’s usually a nonstarter. But, for enough $$, we can talk. ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stormy-daniels-why-exactly-130-000/1000912/25 "2024-04-30T14:50:47Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Not that there’s anything wrong with the oldest profession. That was kind of my point. This field seems to be about the only one where Trump is actually willing to honor the terms of the contract and pay without (too much) quibbling. It may be one of the only good things I can say about him. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stormy-daniels-why-exactly-130-000/1000912/26 "2024-04-30T14:53:51Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > There’s a line that’s been stuck in my head forever, I’ll swear it was from The Sopranos. Specifically, I’d swear it was when Tony gave Janice $3000 and she said ‘why $3000?’ to which he replied “Because that’s what I think you think is a lot of money”. Did you ever watch the Drew Carey Show? I can’t find the actual video, but it’s [discussed here](https://www.reddit.com/r/TheDrewCareyShow/comments/khoirk/s4e14_house_divided_clip/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button). > Mimi: “You want his land. If I can make it all happen, what’s it worth to you?” > > Mrs. Lauder: “$650” > > Mimi: “Why’d you pick that number?” > > Mrs. Lauder: "We spent millions on research determining that’s what poor people think is a lot of money.” ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stormy-daniels-why-exactly-130-000/1000912/27 "2024-04-30T16:20:01Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > I’m not a perfect human being, but I can say that there is no amount that would get me to accept hush money. My dignity is not for sale, and neither is my freedom of speech. > [@CaveMike](#): > > Would it have been more, less, or equally wrong for her to sell the story for publication instead of selling it to AMI? I forget the whole timeline; did she realize at the time it was a catch-&-kill or did she think it was going to be published? > [@China\_Guy](#): > > > [@Folly](#): > > > > That doesn’t leave mushroom for negotiation. > > We saw what you did there! Way to use your head! ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2024, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stormy-daniels-why-exactly-130-000/1000912/28 "2024-05-01T04:54:42Z")
> [@Tatterdemalion](#): > > > [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > > > Not that there’s anything wrong with the oldest profession. > > That was kind of my point. This field seems to be about the only one where Trump is actually willing to honor the terms of the contract and pay without (too much) quibbling. More likely, he was forced to pay her up front. That’s standard in that profession, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Orville\_mogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/aeb1de/32.png) [@Orville\_mogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orville_mogul)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2024, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stormy-daniels-why-exactly-130-000/1000912/29 "2024-05-01T12:25:19Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > I’d guess that she at most made like $5-$8K in her prime for a movie And that too is a remarkably precise range 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2024, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stormy-daniels-why-exactly-130-000/1000912/30 "2024-05-01T16:58:25Z")
Well when she came to Detroit about 7 years ago I actually gave her $5 on stage. I licked a $5 bill and stuck to my forehead, she leaned down and removed it with a pair of body parts. So I know what the low end is, I figure Donald paid the high end. And BTW, they were spectacular. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2024, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stormy-daniels-why-exactly-130-000/1000912/31 "2024-05-01T17:00:39Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > But nobody is talking about one really peculiar issue: > the amount of the payment. Exactly $130,000. Not an even 100,000 not 150,000, etc… > So first, I have an FQ question: How did she and Trump agree on this sum? He said a number, she said a number, and they met somewhere in between. > [@chappachula](#): > > Mr. Trump was known as the richest man in America Que? ---
**Author:** ![Orville\_mogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/aeb1de/32.png) [@Orville\_mogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orville_mogul)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2024, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stormy-daniels-why-exactly-130-000/1000912/32 "2024-05-01T17:50:40Z")
Ah, field research. For the team 😊 ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2024, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stormy-daniels-why-exactly-130-000/1000912/33 "2024-05-01T23:20:39Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > I forget the whole timeline; did she realize at the time it was a catch-&-kill or did she think it was going to be published? It was in October of 2016, right after the Access Hollywood tape came to light. And, Daniels’ lawyer at the time, Keith Davidson, was negotiating with Michael Cohen for the payment, not AMI (the Enquirer), after an earlier attempts to sell the story had been thwarted by the threat of a lawsuit from Cohen/Trump. Given that, I think it’s extremely likely that she knew it was hush money, not a payment to publish her story. It’s probably also worth noting that Davidson (who testified in the trial the other day) had previously represented Karen McDougal, and oversaw selling rights to _her_ story to the Enquirer, which was pretty clearly a catch-and-kill. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stormy-daniels-why-exactly-130-000/1000912.md?page=1)