Judge Juan Merchan announced on Monday that Donald Trump’s hush money case will begin next month on April 15. Earlier on Monday, Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s lengthy investigation.
The 34 charges, brought forward by DA Bragg, accuse Trump of falsifying business records linked to hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels, a former adult film star. The case centers on a $130,000 payments arranged by Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to allegedly ensure Daniels’ silence about an alleged affair before the 2016 campaign.
The trial was initially set to begin March 25, rejecting Trump’s bid to delay the trial even more.
“[Prosecutors] went so far above and beyond what they were required to do that really it’s odd that we’re even here taking this time,” Judge Juan Merchan said according to NBC News.
Fox News reported:
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said much of the newly produced material is unrelated to the state’s case against Trump. Federal prosecutors have already produced more than 100,000 pages of records for review. Fox News Digital has learned, though, that at least 74,000 pages of records initially were sent only to Bragg’s office and not to Trump’s legal team.
Trump’s lawyers were seeking a 90-day delay or a dismissal of charges against him, arguing there were violations in “the discovery process,” whereby both sides exchange evidence. Defense lawyers said a 30-day delay was “insufficient.”
Trump’s lawyers have said the materials from the federal investigation are critical for his defense in the state case being brought by Bragg.The case involving Trump and allegations of hush money payments centers on payments made to two women, Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, who claimed to have had affairs with Trump. Trump has denied these affairs. The payments were made before the 2016 presidential election, ostensibly to prevent the women’s allegations from becoming public and potentially affecting the election’s outcome.
Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, pleaded guilty in 2018 to charges including campaign finance violations related to these payments. He claimed that he arranged payments to the women at Trump’s direction. Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison but said his actions were taken to protect Trump’s candidacy.
The legal issues revolve around whether these payments constituted illegal campaign contributions. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan initially investigated the payments as part of the broader inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 election. However, Trump was not charged with any crime as part of that investigation.
After leaving office, Trump has faced more legal drama over the payments and other matters. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office continued to investigate the hush money payments, among other financial dealings related to Trump and his business empire.
The case touches on complex legal questions regarding campaign finance laws, presidential immunity, and the potential for criminal liability. It is part of a wider array of legal challenges and investigations Trump has faced since leaving office, including inquiries into his business practices, his administration’s policies, and his actions surrounding the 2020 presidential election.
