Prosecutors in Manhattan allege that Donald Trump falsified business records to conceal a violation of election laws during his successful 2016 campaign.
pleaded not guilty in a history-making moment on Tuesday, April 4, to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, as prosecutors accused him of orchestrating payments to two women before the 2016 US election to suppress publication of their sexual encounters with him.
While falsifying business records in New York on its own is a misdemeanor punishable by no more than one year in prison, it is elevated to a felony punishable by up to four years when done to advance or conceal another crime, such as election law violations.Prosecutors during the arraignment said Trump made a series of social media posts, including one threatening “death and destruction” if he was charged.
Manhattan District Attorney Bragg’s team appears to have presented a solid case, said Adam Kaufmann, a defense lawyer who previously oversaw prosecutions in Manhattan. “We’re going to fight it hard,” Todd Blanche, a lawyer for Trump, told reporters after the arraignment, adding that Trump was frustrated, upset and angry about the charges.
“We today uphold our solemn responsibility to ensure that everyone stands equal before the law. No amount of money and no amount of power changes that enduring American principle,” Bragg told a news conference. Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen has said he coordinated with Trump on payments to Daniels and McDougal. Trump has denied having had sexual relationships with either woman but has acknowledged reimbursing Cohen for his payment to Daniels.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Trump supporters, detractors crowd around Manhattan courthouse for arraignmentHundreds of Donald Trump supporters and anti-Trump protesters on Tuesday swarmed the streets around the courthouse in New York City where the former president was due to be arraigned on charges related to a hush-money payment to a porn star.
Read more »
Former US President Trump arrives at Trump Tower on eve of historic arraignmentDonald Trump arrived at Trump Tower in New York Monday where he was due to spend the night before surrendering to court authorities to face criminal charges over a 2016 hush payment to a porn star.
Read more »
Swiss prosecutors say investigating UBS-Credit Suisse mergerSwiss federal prosecutors said they had opened an inquiry into the UBS takeover of its embattled banking rival Credit Suisse, following pressure from federal authorities and media leaks. | AFP
Read more »
New York plans for Trump surrender with barricades, courtroom closingsNew York City police have thrown up metal barriers around Trump Tower and blocked roads near Manhattan Criminal Courthouse as they brace for potential protests ahead of Donald Trump’s expected surrender to prosecutors on Tuesday. | Reuters
Read more »
Republican Hutchinson to run for US president in 2024, urges Trump to drop outFormer Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced his 2024 US presidential candidacy with a proclamation that set him apart from other current or potential Republican candidates: former President Donald Trump should step aside from the race.
Read more »
Trump lawyers blast indictment as 'political persecution' WASHINGTON, United States - Donald Trump's lawyers on Sunday lambasted the former president's historic indictment as 'political persecution' ahead of his court appearance next week.
Read more »