Historical hush money trial
Prosecutor accuses Trump of “conspiracy.”
April 22, 2024, 5:52 p.m
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For the first time, a former US president has to face a criminal trial. Trump is said to have concealed hush money payments to a porn star. He faces several years in prison. In the opening statement, the prosecution accuses Trump of orchestrating a “criminal conspiracy.”
The opening statements have begun in the historic criminal trial against former US President Donald Trump for covering up a hush money payment. Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo accused Trump of a “criminal conspiracy and a cover-up” in the New York court. The goal was “to influence the 2016 presidential election.”
Trump orchestrated a “criminal plot” to “corrupt” the election, Colangelo said. The prosecution was first to speak in the opening statements, with the defense taking the floor later. This is the first criminal trial in history against a former US president.
Previously, Judge Juan Merchan in Manhattan said that he had to keep the start of the trial shorter than planned: one juror had a toothache and an urgent doctor’s appointment in the early afternoon. That’s why the court wants to end the day’s session shortly after noon (local time). According to their own statements, the prosecution and defense planned pleas of 40 and 25 minutes so that both could be presented.
Trump “conspired” with his lawyer and the editor of a tabloid newspaper to influence the 2016 presidential election, Colangelo said. Trump arranged for the suppression of negative stories about his extramarital affairs, including with a porn actress, and subsequently falsified business documents accordingly. “This trial is about a criminal conspiracy and cover-up orchestrated by the defendant Donald Trump,” Colangelo said. “It was election fraud.” Trump, who was present in the courtroom, remained largely unmoved during the remarks.
Opening statements are expected to give the 12 jurors and the public the most comprehensive look yet into the allegations underlying the case. The start of the trial is also likely to provide insights into the ex-president’s defense strategy. The prosecution will also present an illustrious group of witnesses who are expected to speak in the proceedings, including porn actress Stormy Daniels and Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen.
Upon his arrival in New York, Trump once again described the trial as a witch hunt and a disgrace. It is also unfair that he has to go to court instead of being able to campaign. “I’m here instead of campaigning in Pennsylvania and Georgia and a lot of other places, and that’s very unfair,” the 77-year-old said. Trump denounces the hush money trial – as well as the other criminal charges brought against him – as a politically motivated maneuver designed to prevent his return to the White House.
Accusation of forgery
The first criminal trial against a former US president in the history of the United States is about Trump’s hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels – he is accused, among other things, of falsifying business documents. The 77-year-old, who is seeking re-election as US president in November, has pleaded not guilty. The trial began last Monday with the selection of a twelve-person jury.
Trump is accused on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal the true purpose of payments he used to reimburse Cohen for $130,000 to Daniels. According to Cohen, it was hush money intended to keep Daniels from going public with an alleged sexual encounter with Trump that, according to the ex-president, never happened. Trump has pleaded not guilty.
If convicted, Trump faces up to four years in prison. But it was unclear whether Judge Juan Merchan would try to impose a prison sentence against the 77-year-old, who is again running for the highest office in the state. A conviction would not make it impossible for Trump to be re-elected president. However, he would not be able to pardon himself after a possible election success because the procedure is at the state and not the federal level.
In any case, Trump will probably have less time for his election campaign because he has to be present in the courtroom as a defendant. So far, Trump has tried to use his status as a defendant to his own advantage. So he started appealing for donations to cover his legal costs in other cases. And he railed against the justice system being used as a weapon against him. A verdict could be made in June.
The right-wing populist is also facing criminal charges in three other cases, including for his attempts to subsequently overturn his 2020 election defeat against current President Joe Biden. It is unclear when these processes might begin. Trump wants to run against Biden again in the November election.