Former President Donald Trump has expressed his willingness to testify at his upcoming criminal trial in New York regarding the hush payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, according to an ABC News report on Monday.
“I have no issue with testifying,” he confidently stated during a press conference after his court appearance in the case. He firmly asserted, “I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“I find it hard to believe that they would hold a trial during a presidential election,” Trump remarked, reiterating his unverified allegations that the legal challenges he is encountering are merely a political witch hunt orchestrated by his adversaries.
The trial will commence on April 15th, as ruled by Judge Juan Merchan, who rejected Trump’s plea for further postponement.
In April of last year, Trump entered a plea of not guilty to a 34-count indictment. The charges were related to the falsification of business records in connection with a hush money payment made by his former attorney, Michael Cohen, to Daniels shortly before the 2016 presidential election. Trump has consistently maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings.
The start of the trial, which was supposed to have jury selection on Monday, was postponed for 30 days by Merchan a few weeks ago. This delay was caused by the defense attorneys, who raised concerns about the last-minute submission of more than 100,000 pages of potential evidence by the federal prosecutors.
During the press conference, when asked by ABC News about the potential impact of a conviction on his chances for reelection, Trump confidently responded, “It might even make me more popular.”
In a separate civil fraud case, New York’s appellate court made a ruling on Monday to reduce Trump’s bond from $464 million to $175 million. Trump was found to have inflated the value of his properties in order to obtain more favorable loan terms.
In the hush money case, Trump’s potential testimony would mark his third court appearance during this election cycle. Across four criminal cases, he is confronted with a total of 88 charges. Despite the extensive legal battles, Trump steadfastly maintains his innocence. In a previous New York defamation case filed by writer E. Jean Carroll, the former president was compelled to pay $83 million in damages after being found guilty of defaming her.
In a press conference on Monday, Trump expressed some uncertainty regarding his financial contributions towards his campaign. Despite his previous statements about using his personal funds, he acknowledged that the $464 million judgment in his fraud case might impede his ability to do so.
When asked if he intends to use his money to finance his campaign now that the bond amount has been reduced to $175 million, Trump responded with a witty retort, saying, “Well, first of all, it’s none of your business.” He then went on to mention that he might consider this option, highlighting his financial freedom. However, he also acknowledged that if he were to spend $500 million on the bond, he would have to explore alternative measures, such as selling his assets.
According to Trump, the initial bond of $464 million enabled him to “allocate minimal funds towards my campaign.”
“I have the option to spend money on my campaign,” Trump stated confidently. “In fact, I might even spend a substantial amount. But it’s my choice, and I should be able to exercise that option.”
Trump rejected the notion of seeking financial assistance from foreign entities in order to obtain the $175 million bond.
“I don’t engage in that practice. It might be permissible, I suppose. However, I am uncertain,” stated Trump. “The major banks, quite frankly, are located beyond our borders. Therefore, it is conceivable that one could do so. Nevertheless, I personally don’t have the need to borrow money as I possess substantial wealth.”
