Close, but still not quite the real issue! That part is a crime, but only a misdemeanor, and it’s usually not even pursued. The reason it’s being pursued in this case and he’s now a felon is because it’s a felony to try to influence an election by committing a crime, and so trump trying to cover up the affair by committing a crime so he’d be more likely to win the election, is the key ingredient that makes it this significant.