As part of their impeachment inquiry concerning President Donald Trump, House Democrats have become engaged in investigating his part in hush money payments to ex-Playboy model Karern McDougal and adult film star Stormy Daniels. It has been alleged the payments were made to hide politically damaging sexual affairs by Trump just prior to the presidential election.

Although some defenders claim these were private matters having nothing to do with high crimes and misdemeanors as required to support impeachment, there is little doubt these payments, if proven to have been orchestrated by Trump, do fit the bill. It has previously been established a qualifying element for a legal impeachment includes procuring an election through corruptible means.

The evidence has already been mostly established. There can be little doubt Trump approved the payments in criminal violation of the campaign finance law. That’s bad enough, but not, in my opinion, the most bothersome aspect of the illegal payments.

The most outrageous effect is the hard-to-dispute likelihood the payments saved Trump from certain defeat in the 2016 election. How many would have voted against him had the payments been made public? I argue more than enough to have elected Hillary Clinton.