In what will set the stage for a first ever criminal trial of a former US President, a New York Judge on Thursday denied all attempts by Donald Trump to dismiss charges that he covered up hush money payments to a porn star.
During the same time, Trump’s legal team attended a separate hearing in Atlanta, where they attempted to coax the lead prosecutor to disqualify the charges of election fraud and racketeering against Trump.
Two out of four criminal cases are currently confronting the Republican frontrunner as he strives to reclaim the White House. His legal teams are attempting to postpone the actual trials until after the November 5 vote. Capitalizing on the media attention surrounding his legal challenges, Trump has been energizing his supporters and criticizing his Democratic rival, Joe Biden. He restated his belief that the charges are merely a tactic to undermine him in the election.
“How can one run for election while spending the entire day in a Manhattan courthouse?” he questioned upon his arrival. However, Judge Juan Merchan, presiding over the hearing, dismissed Trump’s plea for dismissal or delay, asserting that jury selection would commence as planned in late March.
The former president’s legal team contended that he would not receive a fair trial in New York, citing a previous Manhattan jury awarding $83 million to E. Jean Carroll, a writer who accused Trump of sexual assault and defamation. The judge rejected this argument, along with claims by Trump’s lawyers that extensive media coverage would prejudice the jury.
Wearing his trademark red tie and dark suit, Trump fidgeted in his seat as his lawyer engaged in arguments with the judge and prosecutors. Facing 34 counts of accounting fraud related to payments to the porn star Stormy Daniels, prosecutors allege that Trump illicitly concealed payments to his longtime lawyer, Michael Cohen, to reimburse him for burying stories about Trump’s alleged extramarital affairs.
Trump’s legal challenges also extend to Atlanta, Georgia, where he is accused of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. A hearing there aims to dismiss District Attorney Fani Willis from the case due to an alleged relationship with another prosecutor.
The legal rollercoaster may continue with a potential ruling in Trump’s civil fraud trial on Friday, where he is accused of inflating property values. In this case, he faces a potential penalty of up to $370 million and a ban on conducting business in New York state. Another possible trial alleges conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election in Washington.
Throughout these legal battles, Trump has used them to bolster his narrative of being victimized as he actively campaigns for a return to the White House. The hush money case dates back to the final days of the 2016 election, during Trump’s unexpected victory as a political outsider against Hillary Clinton. A New York grand jury indicted Trump in March 2023 over payments to the porn star Stephanie Clifford (known as Stormy Daniels), intended to silence her regarding alleged encounters with Trump in 2006. The payment, arranged by Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen, occurred late in the campaign, totaling $130,000 in exchange for Daniels’ commitment to confidentiality.
Comments