As Donald Trump is all set to make history as the first former US president to undergo a criminal trial, with jury selection scheduled to begin on Monday in his hush-money case, we take a look at the breakdown of the case and charges businessman-turned politician is facing.
The Hush money trial poses a significant challenge for Trump, who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. He further needs to balance his campaigning duties with appearing in a Manhattan courtroom for weeks to defend himself against allegations related to a scheme to “suppress” claims of marital infidelity during his 2016 presidential campaign.
The significance of looking back to the case and comprehending it thoroughly lies in the trial’s outcome. The outcome carries immense political implications, particularly as it could be the only one of four criminal cases against Trump to reach a verdict before the November election, where he is expected to be the presumptive Republican nominee.
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Here’s a breakdown of the hush money case and the charges Trump is facing:
Case Overview:
Donald Trump is accused of falsifying records within the ‘Trump Organization’ as part of a scheme to suppress damaging stories that could have jeopardised his 2016 campaign.
The allegations primarily revolve around payments made to two women, Stormy Daniels, and Karen McDougal. They claimed to have had extramarital affairs with Trump, as well as to a Trump Tower doorman who alleged knowledge of a child Trump had out of wedlock.
Trump denies these encounters occurred.
Charges:
The former United States President faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Each carries a potential sentence of up to four years in prison.
Prosecutors allege that Trump orchestrated payments to Michael Cohen, his former lawyer, to silence Daniels.
These payments were then falsely recorded as legal expenses within the Trump Organization’s records.
Notably, Cohen has already pleaded guilty to federal campaign finance violations related to these payments.
Jury Selection:
The process of selecting 12 jurors and six alternates will commence under Judge Juan M. Merchan, according to an Associated Press report.
Prospective jurors will be questioned extensively to identify any biases or inability to serve impartially.
It is to be noted that potential jurors’ identities will be kept confidential except to the prosecution, Trump, and their legal teams.
Expected Witnesses:
Key witnesses in the trial are likely to include Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels, AP reported.
Cohen, who orchestrated the payments to Daniels, has already testified before a grand jury.
Daniels alleges a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, which Trump denies.
Defence Strategy:
Donald Trump maintains his innocence, portraying the case as politically motivated.
His defence is expected to attack the credibility of witnesses such as Cohen and Daniels, painting them as unreliable.
Trump’s lawyers may also argue that the payments were unrelated to the campaign.
Other Legal Battles:
It is to be noted that Donald Trump faces three additional criminal cases, but their resolution may not occur before the November election due to legal challenges and appeals.
These cases involve allegations of election interference, retention of classified documents, and conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. Trump has pleaded not guilty in all cases.
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