WASHINGTON – Oral arguments in former President Donald Trump’s historic New York case began Monday in a Manhattan courtroom, where jurors are expected to decide whether fraudulent hush money payments to cover up an affair amounted to a criminal conviction.
The first criminal trial against a former US president centers on Trump’s allegedly falsified business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels, with whom he denies having a sexual relationship.
Deputy District Attorney Matthew Colangelo recounted Jurors Monday that Trump’s payments to Daniels in 2016, which he reimbursed his former attorney Michael Cohen as legal fees, were intended to “influence the presidential election.” after to reporters at the courthouse.
“This case involves a criminal conspiracy and fraud. “The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal plot to rig the 2016 presidential election, and then he covered up that conspiracy by lying over and over again in his New York business filings,” Colangelo argued. after to journalists present.
The New York court does not permit audio or video recording, but will provide it daily transcripts on his website.
Calling him “President Trump.”
Defense attorney Todd Blanche argued for Trump, who he said was referred to as “President Trump” throughout the trial “out of respect” and because he “earned” the title.
Blanche told the jury: “President Trump is innocent. President Trump has committed no crimes. The Manhattan District Attorney should never have brought this case.”
Blanche claimed that Trump was unaware of the details of the payments, arguing, “You will learn that President Trump had nothing to do with any of the 34 pieces of paper…other than signing the checks.”
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg calculated Trump with 34 felony counts of first-degree falsifying business records for each restitution payment to Cohen.
Blanche also urged jurors to reject the prosecution’s election interference theory: “I have a spoiler alert: There’s nothing wrong with influencing an election, that’s called democracy,” he said, according to reporters at the courthouse.
According to reporters, Trump raised his fist and did not answer questions as he left the courtroom for a brief break after opening his speech.
The head of the National Enquirer called
Prosecutors on Monday called David Pecker, the former chairman of the National Enquirer tabloid’s parent company, as the first witness. Pecker, along with Cohen, was involved in the plan to identify and purchase damaging stories about Trump, nicknamed “Catch and Kill,” before the 2016 election.
Prosecutors are also expected to call Cohen, who has already served prison time in connection with the payments, and Hope Hicks, a former Trump campaign press secretary.
The trial could take longer than a month, possibly even two, keeping the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee away from the campaign trail four days a week.
The New York trial also overlaps with Trump’s immunity arguments, scheduled for Thursday before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The former president Expectations He enjoys absolute criminal immunity for his actions while in office, including immunity from special counsel Jack Smith’s allegations supposedly planned to undermine the results of the 2020 presidential election, culminating in a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
According to media reports, New York Judge Juan Merchan rejected Trump’s request to attend the Supreme Court proceedings and said he must be present at his trial in Manhattan.
In early morning posts on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump blamed President Joe Biden – even though the case was at the state level – and repeated his claim that the trial was politically motivated. He wrote, partly in all caps, that he was now “stuck in a courtroom and not allowed to run for President of the United States!”
