Former President Donald Trump has been charged with 34 felony counts in New York related to his alleged falsification of business records. These charges stem from hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels, a porn star who alleged an affair with Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. The indictment alleges that Trump directed reimbursements to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, for payments to Daniels be falsely recorded as legal expenses in the Trump Organization’s financial records.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is scheduled to stand trial in late March 2024. Prosecutors have accused him of being disingenuous about the impact of the case on his campaign, citing Trump’s claims that the indictment has actually strengthened his candidacy. They also provided a detailed justification for the timing of the investigation and charges, including factors such as the statute of limitations extension due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The district attorney’s office has sought to defend an element of the case that legal experts have debated, which is whether prosecutors can connect the hush money payments to a federal election as an illegal campaign donation. Prosecutors must show that Trump’s actions were taken with the intent to commit or conceal another crime in order for the falsification of business records charges to be elevated from misdemeanors to felonies. This case continues to draw attention and debate as it moves towards trial.
