Former President Donald Trump’s New York criminal hush money trial is set to begin with a long list of charges, witnesses, potential penalties, appeals, and attorneys. The charges stem from reimbursements made to Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, for hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to prevent her from speaking about an alleged affair with Trump. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has characterized the case as being about election interference, alleging that the payment was part of a wider scheme to keep damaging information from voters.
Prosecutors allege that the campaign sought to quash Daniels’ allegations after the Access Hollywood tape was released, in which Trump speaks graphically about groping women, out of concern for female voters. Trump is required to attend the trial unless he receives a waiver from the judge. The investigation into the hush money schemes began under the previous district attorney, Cy Vance, and shifted focus to the Trump Organization’s finances. Bragg, who took office in 2022, has accused Trump of avoiding criminal responsibility through his political power and campaigned on prosecuting the former president.
Cohen has stated that he paid Daniels at Trump’s request before the 2016 election to keep her quiet, violating federal campaign finance laws. The falsified business records include invoices created by Cohen, entries on Trump’s books, and checks mostly signed by Trump to Cohen under the guise of legal expenses. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to the hush money payments to Daniels, each representing a separate instance of alleged misconduct with a maximum penalty of four years in state prison.
Trump’s attorneys have made several attempts to pause the trial through appeals to the court, which have been rejected. The judge expanded his gag order, prohibiting Trump from attacking witnesses, jurors, or their families. Jury selection is expected to take one to two weeks, with potential jurors being vetted about their views on the former president and affiliations with certain groups. Witnesses in the trial will include bankers, Trump Organization officials, lawyers, and individuals who worked on Trump’s campaign.
Key figures in the trial include Manhattan prosecutors Alvin Bragg, Matthew Colangelo, Christopher Conroy, Joshua Steinglass, Susan Hoffinger, and Becky Mangold, as well as Trump’s criminal attorneys Todd Blanche, Emil Bove, and Susan Necheles. High-profile witnesses expected to be called by prosecutors include Cohen, Daniels, David Pecker, and Hope Hicks. The trial is anticipated to last six to eight weeks, with potential penalties including up to four years in state prison for each count of falsifying business records related to the hush money payments.
