NBC News Boston, March 31, 2023. By Mary Markos
"The same type of hush money payments Donald Trump is accused of using to silence adult film star Stormy Daniels are currently being investigated in Massachusetts by State Auditor Dianna DiZoglio.
"Daniels signed a nondisclosure agreement with Trump’s attorney in October 2016, agreeing to keep their alleged affair quiet in exchange for $130,000. She later broke that agreement by speaking publicly and alleged that Trump’s lawyer used "intimidation and coercive tactics" to get her to sign it.
"Legal experts like Mitchell Garabedian, a Boston-based attorney who represents victims of clergy sexual abuse, say nondisclosure agreements are often used to silence victims of workplace misconduct on the taxpayer’s dime.
" 'The government is supposed to be transparent. Courts are meant to be transparent. Secrecy allows only more sexual abuse and evil to occur,” Garabedian said. “Not only does a confidentiality agreement control the victim for the rest of his or her life, but it allows the predator to continue to sexually abuse, take advantage of the vulnerable and not keep children safe.'
"DiZoglio is in the early stages of an investigation into exactly how much money Massachusetts has spent on nondisclosure agreements – something she urged her predecessor to do. "
https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/theres-a-call-to-end-the-use-of-ndas-in-massachusetts/3011396/
