Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in court with his attorney Todd Blanche for the opening statements in his trial on April 22, 2024. The trial, taking place at the Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, focuses on allegations of Trump covering up hush money payments. Trump is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in what is the first of his criminal cases to go to trial.
Oral arguments commenced on Monday in a Manhattan courtroom for the landmark case involving former President Donald Trump in New York. The jury will be responsible for determining whether the covert payments made to conceal an affair can be considered as a criminal offense.
The trial of a former U.S. president is currently underway, focusing on allegations that Trump falsified his business records in order to conceal a $130,000 payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Despite denying any sexual relationship with Daniels, Trump is now facing legal scrutiny in this landmark case.
Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo informed the jurors on Monday that Trump’s payments to Daniels in 2016, which he reimbursed to his former lawyer Michael Cohen as legal expenses, had the intention of influencing the presidential election, as reported by the courthouse reporters.
According to journalists present, the argument put forth by Colangelo states that this case revolves around a criminal conspiracy and fraud. The defendant, Donald Trump, is accused of orchestrating a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election. Furthermore, it is alleged that Trump attempted to cover up this conspiracy by repeatedly lying in his New York business records.
The New York court does not allow audio or video recording, but it does offer daily transcripts on its website.
Calling him ‘President Trump’
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Defense attorney Todd Blanche advocated for Trump, asserting that he should be referred to as “President Trump” throughout the trial as a sign of respect and acknowledgment of his earned title.
Blanche passionately defended President Trump’s innocence to the jurors, firmly stating, “President Trump did not commit any crimes. The Manhattan district attorney should never have brought this case.”
Blanche argued that President Trump had no knowledge of the intricacies of the payments. According to Blanche, “You’ll learn that President Trump had no involvement in any of the 34 documents… except for signing the checks.”
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has brought forth 34 felony charges against Trump for falsifying business records in the first degree. Each charge corresponds to a reimbursement payment made to Cohen.
During the trial, Blanche made a compelling argument to the jurors, urging them to disregard the prosecution’s theory of election interference. He confidently stated, “I have a spoiler alert: there’s nothing wrong with attempting to influence an election; it’s simply a part of democracy.” This statement, as reported by journalists present in the courtroom, showcased Blanche’s strong belief in the democratic process.
As he left the courtroom for a brief recess after the opening statements, Trump raised his fist and refrained from taking any questions, as reported by journalists.
National Enquirer exec called
The first witness called by the prosecution on Monday was David Pecker, the former chairman of the parent company of the National Enquirer tabloid. Pecker was involved in a scheme with Cohen to identify and purchase damaging stories about Trump, which were then nicknamed “catch and kill,” in anticipation of the 2016 election.
The prosecution plans to summon Cohen, who has previously been incarcerated in connection with the payments, as well as Hope Hicks, a former press secretary for the Trump campaign.
The trial may extend beyond a month, possibly even two, which means that the presumed 2024 Republican presidential nominee will be unable to hit the campaign trail for four days every week.
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear Trump’s immunity arguments on Thursday, which coincides with the New York proceeding.
The former president asserts that he is protected by absolute criminal immunity for his actions during his time in office. This includes immunity from the charges brought by special counsel Jack Smith, who alleges that the former president conspired to undermine the 2020 presidential election results, leading to the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
According to media reports, New York Judge Juan Merchan has denied Trump’s request to attend the Supreme Court arguments, stating that he must be present at his Manhattan trial.
In his early morning posts on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump placed blame on President Joe Biden for the case, even though it is being handled at the state level. He reiterated his belief that the trial is driven by political motivations. In a partially capitalized statement, he expressed his frustration at being “STUCK in a courtroom” and unable to campaign for the presidency.
NY Prosecutor Connects Trump’s Hush Money Payments to Campaign in Criminal Trial Kickoff
The criminal trial commences with the New York prosecutor linking Donald Trump’s hush money payments to his campaign. This revelation comes as a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings. The trial is expected to shed light on the alleged campaign finance violations and bring forth crucial evidence. The connection between the hush money payments and the campaign could have substantial implications for the former president.