Michael D. Cohen, Donald J. Trump’s former lawyer, is publicly testifying before Congress today. Here is what was previously known and what we are now learning about hush money payments and efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow during the 2016 campaign.

Cohen says he arranged illegal hush money payments “at the direction” of Trump and that Trump directed him to lie about them.

Michael D. Cohen paid $130,000 to negotiated payment between says he made the payments at the direction of The National Enquirer Stormy Daniels Karen McDougal whose parent company is chaired by to cover up an alleged affair with to cover up an alleged affair with who is a longtime friend of Donald J. Trump David J. Pecker Michael D. Cohen paid $130,000 to says he made the payments at the direction of negotiated payment between The National Enquirer Stormy Daniels Karen McDougal to cover up an alleged affair with to cover up an alleged affair with whose parent company is chaired by David J. Pecker Donald J. Trump who is a longtime friend of

Trump begins presidential campaign. Pecker tells Cohen and “one or more members of the campaign” that he can help quash negative stories about Trump. McDougal approaches American Media, which owns The National Enquirer, with her story. Pecker tells Cohen. Cohen says pay her off. American Media enters into an agreement with McDougal. Cohen secretly records conversation in which Trump seems to know about the McDougal payment. Daniels tells American Media she is going public with her story. Pecker tells Cohen. Cohen sets up shell company to pay off Daniels. The Wall Street Journal uncovers the McDougal deal. The Trump campaign issues a flat denial: “We have no knowledge of any of this.” Cohen asks the Trump Organization to be reimbursed. According to Cohen’s written testimony, Trump told Cohen during a visit to the White House that his reimbursement checks were coming. Cohen says the Trump Organization did not know about the payment to Daniels. In testimony before Congress on Wednesday, Cohen said Trump directed him to lie about the payment. “There was no knowledge of any payments from the president,” says Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House press secretary. Trump denies any knowledge of payments. Trump says he reimbursed Cohen but that the payments were not campaign finance violations. In pleading guilty to campaign finance violations, Cohen says he arranged for the payments “at the direction” of Trump “for the principal purpose of influencing the election.”

Cohen says discussions about building a Trump Tower in Moscow continued well into the campaign — and that Trump “knew of and directed” the negotiations.

worked on a plan to build Trump Tower Moscow with Felix H. Sater Michael D. Cohen says he was implicitly instructed to lie about the project by longtime business associate discussed the status of the project during the campaign with Donald Trump Jr. Ivanka Trump Donald J. Trump Signed a nonbinding letter of intent to pursue the project. Michael D. Cohen Felix H. Sater worked on a plan to build Trump Tower Moscow with longtime business associate says he was implicitly instructed to lie about the project by discussed the status of the project during the campaign with Ivanka Trump Donald Trump Jr. Donald J. Trump Signed a nonbinding letter of intent to pursue the project.