Tue 04 Apr 2023:
- Former US President Donald Trump pleads not guilty to 34 felony counts in a New York City court.
- Indictment against Trump centres on allegations he falsified business records to conceal hush money payments, including one to adult film star Stormy Daniels, ahead of 2016 vote.
- New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg says Trump’s conduct constitutes a crime in New York “no matter who you are”.
- Trump is set to return to Florida and deliver remarks from his Mar-a-Lago resort at 8:15pm (00:15 GMT on Wednesday).
Former US President Donald Trump arrives at Manhattan court #Trump pic.twitter.com/NxdeJ17NXu
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) April 4, 2023
Understanding the charges against Trump
In a statement following the arraignment, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office explained the 34 felony charges against Trump for “falsifying business records”.
The office said that was done to “conceal damaging information and unlawful activity from American voters before and after the 2016 election”.
“During the election, Trump and others employed a ‘catch and kill’ scheme to identify, purchase, and bury negative information about him and boost his electoral prospects,” the statement said.
“Trump then went to great lengths to hide this conduct, causing dozens of false entries in business records to conceal criminal activity, including attempts to violate state and federal election laws,” the statement said.
Cheques reimbursing Stormy Daniels payment signed by Trump: Prosecutors
Most of the cheques to reimburse Trump’s personal lawyer for the hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 elections were signed by Trump himself, prosecutors have said.
The reimbursements were mischaracterised as legal expenses to conceal their “true nature”, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said in a statement.
“In total, 11 checks were issued for a phony purpose. Nine of those checks were signed by TRUMP,” the office said.
“Each check was processed by the Trump Organization and illegally disguised as a payment for legal services rendered pursuant to a non-existent retainer agreement.”
Trump waves as he walks into New York courthouse#Trump pic.twitter.com/tGFx1qkIlu
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) April 4, 2023
The three hush-money payments detailed in the indictment
The unsealed indictment said the charges against Trump stem from three hush-money payments.
The first included a $30,000 payment by American Media Inc (AMI), which owns the National Enquirer tabloid, to a former Trump Tower doorman “who claimed to have a story about a child Trump had out of wedlock”, according to a New York District Attorney’s Office statement.
The second involved a $150,000 payment from AMI to a woman who alleged she had a sexual relationship with Trump. The District Attorney’s Office said Trump “explicitly directed a lawyer who then worked for the Trump Organization as Trump’s Special Counsel … to reimburse AMI in cash”. The allegation appeared to reference Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, as well as former Playboy model Karen McDougal.
The final payment appeared to reference the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels.
“The People of the State of New York allege that Donald J Trump repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal crimes that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election,” District Attorney Bragg said in a statement.
“Manhattan is home to the country’s most significant business market. We cannot allow New York businesses to manipulate their records to cover up criminal conduct. As the Statement of Facts describes, the trail of money and lies exposes a pattern that, the People allege, violates one of New York’s basic and fundamental business laws.”
We just announced a 34-count felony indictment of former President Donald J. Trump. Learn more: https://t.co/PTTh2zlsvv pic.twitter.com/IUE6JjdrS2
— Alvin Bragg (@ManhattanDA) April 4, 2023
Unsealed indictment accuses Trump of ‘catch and kill’ hush-money payments
The unsealed indictment accuses Trump of directing three different instances of hush-money payments to cover up alleged affairs.
Trump was indicted for “falsifying New York business records in order to conceal damaging information and unlawful activity from American voters before and after the 2016 election”, according to a statement from the district attorney’s office.
The statement said from “from August 2015 to December 2017, Trump orchestrated his ‘catch and kill’ scheme through a series of payments that he then concealed through months of false business entries”.
Trump charges include ‘conspiracy’: US media
Details of the charges have been emerging after Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts.
After the indictment was unsealed on Tuesday, NBC News reported that among the falsifying business records charges, Trump has also been charged with conspiracy related to hush money payments made in 2016.
Judge warns Trump to refrain from social media posts that could foment unrest
Judge Juan Merchan warned Trump to refrain from social media posts that could incite violence against officials, according to reporters in the courtroom.
The warning comes after Trump has repeatedly lashed out at New York District Attorney Bragg via various campaign channels and through his social media account, accusing the official of pursuing a politically motivated case.
Still, Merchan did not impose any pre-trial restrictions, such as a gag order, on Trump.
Former US President Donald Trump pleads not guilty to 34 felony counts in a New York City court.#TrumpArraignment pic.twitter.com/gvrXVjzmQH
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) April 4, 2023
Trump says his campaign raised $10m since indictment
In an email to supporters after his court appearance, Trump said his campaign raised $10m since news of the indictment became public.
“While we are living through the darkest hours of American history, I can say that at least for this moment right now, I am in great spirits,” Trump said in the email.
Trump travelled directly from the Manhattan criminal court to LaGuardia airport in a police-escorted motorcade, where he boarded a private plane.
The former president was set to travel to Florida, where he is expected deliver remarks from his Mar-a-Lago resort at 8:15pm (00:15 GMT on Wednesday).
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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