The First Criminal Trial of a Former President Marks a Historic Moment in the Trump Hush Money Case
In a historic moment, former President Donald Trump is set to face trial for criminal charges, making him the first former president to do so. The trial, taking place in lower Manhattan, centers around allegations of a sex scandal coverup that occurred just days before the 2016 presidential election. Prosecutors claim that Trump falsified business records to hide hush money payments that were made to influence the outcome of the election.
Despite last-minute attempts to derail the trial, jury selection is expected to begin and may take at least a week to seat a panel of 12 New Yorkers and alternates. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, will be facing a major test as he prosecutes this case, which may be the only one of Trump’s four criminal cases to face a jury before Election Day.
Trump has pleaded not guilty and vehemently denied having an affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels. However, the trial will bring forth witnesses from Trump’s inner circle, including his former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen, who has already pleaded guilty to federal campaign finance charges. Other witnesses include David Pecker, the former CEO of the company that published the National Enquirer, and campaign confidante Hope Hicks.
One of the significant aspects of this trial is that it will take the jury inside the Oval Office, where prosecutors allege that then-President Trump authorized the cover-up by falsifying business records. There may even be audio recordings played in court of Trump and Cohen allegedly discussing a “catch and kill” deal.
While the allegations are salacious, a significant amount of testimony is expected to focus on mundane back-office recordkeeping. Prosecutors have indicated that they may call 18 witnesses to enter financial documents into evidence if both sides cannot agree on their authenticity.
The burden of proof for prosecutors is to show beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump falsified business records with the intent to commit or conceal another crime. They do not have to prove that Trump committed the alleged crime itself. Trump’s defense team, led by experienced lawyers, plans to attack the credibility of Daniels and Cohen, painting them as liars who are motivated by grudges and money.
Trump’s lawyers have indicated that they will call at least two witnesses in their case, including a former commissioner of the Federal Election Commission and the top legal officer of the Trump Organization. They may argue that the hush money payments were legal and made to prevent embarrassment to Trump’s family, rather than to influence the election.
If convicted, Trump could face probation or a maximum sentence of 1 1/3 to 4 years on each of the 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. It is important to note that a president has no authority to pardon state crimes, adding to the high stakes for Trump in this trial.
The trial also delves into the backstory of the alleged cover-up. It all began with Stormy Daniels threatening to go public with allegations of a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Trump’s allies rushed to pay hush money to Daniels to prevent her from speaking out, resulting in what prosecutors call a “catch and kill” deal. This deal was one of three such arrangements that occurred, with payments made to bury negative stories and silence women who claimed to have had affairs with Trump.
The trial is expected to last for the next two months, with Trump spending four days a week in court. As the first criminal trial of a former president, it marks a truly historic moment and will undoubtedly have significant implications for both Trump and the justice system as a whole.