Prosecutors in New York have charged former US President Donald Trump with falsifying business documents in 34 counts. The public prosecutor’s office in New York said on Tuesday that he wanted to hide harmful information and illegal activities before and after the 2016 presidential election. Trump is the first ex-president in US history to face criminal charges. The case is related to hush money payments to a porn actress. Trump pleaded not guilty in court.
The district attorney’s office in Manhattan on Thursday announced the indictment against the Republican, who is running again for a presidential candidacy in the November 2024 election. Trump appeared in court in Manhattan on Tuesday for the indictment hearing. Up to this point, the indictment had been kept under lock and key – the exact details of the allegations were therefore still unclear until the very end.
After the indictment in New York, the public prosecutor announced the details. Trump and others have systematically attempted to identify, buy and hide negative information about him in order to increase his election chances, prosecutors said in a statement. Trump went to great lengths to hide all of this, making dozens of false entries in business records. Attempts to violate electoral laws are among the criminal activities he has tried to cover up.
Trump paid hush money to porn actress Stormy Daniels
The background of the case: Shortly before his election as president in 2016, Trump had paid hush money to the porn actress Stormy Daniels. She had claimed she had sex with him. Trump denies an affair, but not that money flowed. Such a payment in itself is not illegal. However, Trump is accused of having booked them incorrectly.
The responsible prosecutor Alvin Bragg said: “We cannot allow New York companies to manipulate their records to cover up criminal behavior.” Trump’s lawyers rejected the allegations against their client. “It’s sad and we’re going to fight it,” one of his attorneys, Todd Blanche, said after the indictment. It’s not a good day. Regarding Trump’s state of mind, he said, “He’s frustrated, he’s upset, but I’ll tell you what, he’s motivated.”
Donald Trump with his defense team at the table in the New York courtroom.
Trump also repeatedly calls the allegations against him a politically motivated “witch hunt” intended to prevent his victory in the 2024 presidential election. He had already announced several months ago that he would run again for the election as his party’s candidate.
A trial and a potential conviction in the New York case could at best affect Trump’s plans for a renewed presidential candidacy from a political point of view. In purely legal terms, on the other hand, Trump could theoretically also stand as a convicted criminal in the 2024 election, as legal experts emphasize.
Trump announces major speech at Mar-a-Lago
For the indictment, Trump had to appear in court in person and was also taken into temporary custody, which is part of the usual procedure in such cases. It was considered certain that Trump would be able to return home afterwards. For Tuesday evening local time – according to German time on Wednesday night – he has announced a big speech at his Mar-a-Lago estate in the state of Florida.
The further procedure after the indictment could take a long time. Before a trial there is a series of hearings and the opportunity to make various applications. Trump’s lawyers could try to delay the processes and bring a process to burst.
Trump’s court appearance was accompanied by heavy security and demonstrations by his supporters and opponents alike in the immediate vicinity of the court. Hundreds of journalists were also stationed around the courthouse. Because of feared riots, New York significantly increased security. At first, the demonstrations near the court remained peaceful.
Trump called on his supporters to protest a good two weeks ago in view of the impending indictment. This brought back memories of the violent attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Angry Trump supporters stormed the parliament building in the US capital Washington to prevent Trump from being replaced by the election winner Joe Biden. Biden won the 2020 election, but Trump still refuses to admit defeat.
Protesters hold a flag reading ‘Trump 2024 – Save America Again’ in front of the New York Criminal Forum.
At the reading of the indictment, Judge Juan Merchan, citing Trump’s social media posts submitted by the prosecution, said: “Please refrain from statements that glorify violence, create disturbances and endanger security.” This is a request and not a request Order, but he may want to take a closer look at Trump’s behavior in this regard, Merchan said, as a dpa reporter from the court reported. The prosecution had asked the judge to position himself on the statements. Trump’s lawyers rejected the allegations.
Trump is due to appear in court again on December 4th
After the unprecedented indictment has been read out, further proceedings will take a long time. At the indictment hearing on Tuesday in New York, it was determined that Trump should appear in court again on December 4, as a dpa reporter from the court reported. Before that, there is, among other things, the opportunity for the defense attorneys to make applications and time for the prosecutor to react.
The lawyers asked that Trump did not have to appear in person on December 4, citing the expensive and complex security measures as the reason. “It was undoubtedly a huge undertaking for everyone involved,” Judge Juan Merchan said, but dismissed the request for the time being. Trump would be treated like any other defendant.
Prosecutors suggested January 2024 as a possible start date for Trump’s trial, but the defense has argued for a later date – in late spring 2024. The judge said it was prudent to proceed as soon as possible. In the processes before the start of a process, Trump’s defense attorneys could still try to prevent it and cause it to burst.
The next presidential election in the USA is scheduled for November 2024. Trump announced several months ago that he was running as his party’s presidential candidate. To do this, he must assert himself in the party’s internal primaries, which are expected to begin in February 2024.