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Former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial kicked off Monday, the place he faces 34 counts of falsifying enterprise information within the first diploma.
The historic trial started with jury choice, the place a pool of greater than 500 potential jurors can be peppered with questions to find out if they’ll pretty weigh in on the fees.
The case revolves round funds made by Trump’s former private legal professional, Michael Cohen, to former pornographic actor Stormy Daniels forward of the 2016 election. The $130,000 cost was to allegedly quiet her claims of an alleged extramarital affair she had with Trump in 2006.
Trump has denied the affair and pleaded not responsible to the fees.
LIVE UPDATES: TRUMP’S HUSH MONEY PAYMENT GETS UNDERWAY AS JURY SELECTION BEGINS
Former US President Donald Trump at Manhattan prison court docket in New York, US, on Monday, April 15, 2024. (Angela Weiss/AFP/Bloomberg through Getty Images)
Prosecutors say reimbursements from the Trump Organization to Cohen had been falsely recorded as authorized bills. Falsifying enterprise information is a misdemeanor, and prosecutors are working to show that Trump falsified information with an intent to commit or conceal a second crime, which is a felony.
The trial total is anticipated to final no less than six weeks.
The first day was action-packed, together with Trump sounding off that the case was “political persecution.”
‘Assault on America’
Trump was seen leaving Trump Tower early Monday morning, heading to Manhattan Criminal Court the place he addressed the press and railed towards the case and its costs.
“Nothing like this has ever happened before,” Trump mentioned on the courthouse Monday forward of the trial formally starting. “This is political persecution … it’s a case that should have never been brought.”
“This is an assault on America and that’s why I’m very proud to be here,” he added.
Former US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media at Manhattan prison court docket in New York, US, on Monday, April 15, 2024. (Angela Weiss/AFP/Bloomberg through Getty Images)
Trump has repeatedly slammed the trial and costs, together with in Pennsylvania on Saturday, the place he held his final scheduled marketing campaign rally forward of the trial formally starting.
“I will be forced to sit fully gagged. I’m not allowed to talk. They want to take away my constitutional right to talk,” Trump mentioned in Pennsylvania.
“I’m proud to do it for you,” he continued, calling the trial a “communist show trial,” which he claims is orchestrated by the Biden administration. “Have a good time watching.”
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Prosecutors push to positive Trump $3,000 for gag order violations
The district legal professional’s workplace argued Monday that Trump has violated a gag order 3 times in social media posts and may pay $1,000 for every violation.
Presiding Judge Juan Merchan had imposed a gag order on Trump earlier this month that stops him from making public statements about witnesses and their anticipated testimony within the trial.
Court sketch displaying Former President Donald Trump in Manhattan Criminal Court earlier than Justice Juan Merchan, Monday, April 15, 2024. (Christine Cornell)
“The defendant is conscious of the April 1 order. We know that from numerous posts he had made,” mentioned prosecutor Christopher Conroy earlier than Merchan’s ruling.
“We think it is important for the court to remind Mr. Trump is a criminal defendant,” Conroy added.
Trump’s authorized staff pushed again that the forty fifth president was defending himself from “salacious, repeated, vehement attacks by these witnesses.”
POTENTIAL TRUMP HUSH MONEY TRIAL JURORS BEING ASKED 42 QUESTIONS
Merchan introduced he’ll hear arguments on whether or not Trump violated the order on April 23, earlier than making a choice on the matter. The protection staff has till April 19 to file a written response to the prosecutors’ claims Trump violated the gag order.
‘Access Hollywood’ tape denied
Merchan doubled down Monday on his earlier choice that the jury not be proven the notorious “Access Hollywood” tape, which surfaced forward of the 2016 election and reveals Trump boasting to host Billy Bush that he may kiss and grope ladies as a consequence of his star energy.
Former President Donald Trump exits Trump Tower in New York City, Monday, April 15, 2024. (Probe-Media for Fox News Digital)
TRUMP CALLS HUSH MONEY TRIAL ‘ASSAULT ON AMERICA’ AS CASE OFFICIALLY KICKS OFF
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass urged the court docket to incorporate proof surrounding the video, which he mentioned is an “admission of sexual assault” and “living proof that the defendant wasn’t all talk.”
“That is more than just comments of a sexual nature,” Steinglass mentioned, including that when the video surfaced in 2016, it threw Trump’s presidential marketing campaign right into a “tailspin.”
Merchan had beforehand denied the prosecution from displaying the tape to jurors, saying in March, “it is not necessary that the tape itself be introduced into evidence or that it be played for the jury.”
Trump’s legal professional mentioned the video is prejudicial and shouldn’t be aired to the jurors.
“The people will get everything they need to prove the charges in this case from what your honor has already ruled,” legal professional Todd Blanche mentioned.
Former President Donald Trump attends the first day of his trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on April 15, 2024. (Angela Weiss/AFP through AP, POOL)
Prosecutors can introduce Trump’s actual phrases from the video, in addition to an e mail associated to the tape, however Merchan mentioned the video itself can’t be proven to jurors.
9 QUESTIONS ABOUT TRUMP TRIAL, ANSWERED
Massive media presence
The trial in Lower Manhattan, which won’t be televised from the courtroom, attracted an enormous media presence on Monday.
Video footage shot exterior the courtroom reveals a protracted line of journalists staged in entrance of cameras alongside no less than one block within the Big Apple.
Trump’s trial marks the first time a former president will stand trial on prison costs. The hush money case can also be the first of 4 prison circumstances Trump is predicted to face this yr whereas juggling the marketing campaign path because the presumptive Republican Party’s presidential nominee.
Trump says he is doubtless barred from attending son’s commencement
Merchan on Monday advised Trump it was “too early” for him to determine whether or not he can attend the highschool commencement of his son, Barron Trump, subsequent month, which sparked criticism from Trump as he departed the courthouse.
“Amazing things happened today. As you know, my son is graduating from high school, and it looks like the judge will not let me go to the graduation of my son who has worked very, very hard,” Trump mentioned whereas leaving the courthouse.
“He’s a great student, very proud of the fact that he did so well and was looking forward for years to have graduation with his mother and father there. It looks like the judge isn’t going to allow me to escape this scam. It’s a scam trial,” he continued.
Trump’s protection staff had requested the decide for just a few scheduling exceptions, together with just a few days over Passover, in addition to his son’s highschool commencement on May 17.
“It really depends on if we are on time and where we are in the trial,” Merchan mentioned Monday.
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Trump, in his remarks leaving the courthouse, additionally railed that he won’t be permitted to journey to Washington, D.C., subsequent week, when the Supreme Court will hear arguments concerning whether or not Trump is immune from prosecution in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s election interference case.
“In addition, as you know, next Thursday, we’re before the United States Supreme Court in a very big hearing on immunity. And this is something that we’ve been waiting for a long time. And the judge, of course, is not going to allow us, he is a very conflicted judge, and he’s not going to allow us to go to that,” he mentioned.
The hush money case will resume Tuesday morning with continued jury choice.
Fox News Digital’s Brianna Herlihy and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
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