What’s clear is that People v. Trump, the first criminal trial against a former U.S. president, is historic.
A New York court will begin selecting jurors Monday to try an ex-president on criminal charges for the first time in U.S. history.
Former President Donald Trump managed to delay criminal cases against him in Georgia and federal court but will make history when he enters a Manhattan courtroom for a trial on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
The case also hinges on salacious claims that Mr. Trump, fearing bad press in 2016, paid $130,000 in hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels to cover up an alleged sexual encounter from nearly two decades ago, along with payments to a second woman who alleged an affair and a doorman who pushed an unproven story that Mr. Trump had a child out of wedlock.
Prosecutors allege Mr. Trump concealed the payments through reimbursements to his attorney-turned-accuser, Michael D. Cohen, recorded in official business ledgers on multiple dates in 2017. He did so days before the 2016 election in order to conceal this to influence the election.
Jury selection starts today, and here’s how Judge Juan Merchan will summarize the case for prospective jurors:
The allegations are in substance, that Donald Trump falsified business records to conceal an agreement with others to unlawfully influence the 2016 presidential election. Specifically, it is alleged that Donald Trump made or caused false business records to hide the true nature of payments made to Michael Cohen, by characterizing them as payment for legal services rendered pursuant to a retainer agreement. The People allege that in fact, the payments were intended to reimburse Michael Cohen for money he paid to Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, in the weeks before the presidential election to prevent her from publicly revealing details about a past sexual encounter with Donald Trump.
Based on those allegations, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. The former president has pleaded not guilty and denies the allegations, as he has done in his other three pending criminal cases.
After a dozen different motions to stop or delay this trial, the twice impeached, liable sexual assaulter, NY business fraudster and alleged insurrectionist (and still the GOPs leader), is going on trial today. His lawyer, Michael Cohen, already went to jail for this in which a Trump was co-conspirator 1, for obvious reasons, does not want this trial to happen.
So, buckle up, here we go!