Former President Trump is facing a hearing in a New York City courtroom related to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s hush money payments case. The trial was originally scheduled to begin with jury selection but was delayed by Judge Juan Merchan until mid-April to allow Trump and his legal team more time to review 15,000 records of potential evidence from a federal investigation. Federal prosecutors have already provided over 100,000 pages of records for review, but at least 74,000 pages were initially only sent to Bragg’s office and not to Trump’s legal team, causing delays and disagreements over the discovery process.
Trump’s lawyers have requested a 90-day delay or a dismissal of charges, citing violations in the discovery process and arguing that materials from the federal investigation are critical for his defense in the state case brought by Bragg. Bragg has charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, to which Trump has pleaded not guilty. Bragg alleges that Trump falsified business records to conceal criminal conduct during the 2016 presidential election related to hush-money payments made during the campaign.
The charges against Trump in the hush-money payments case are related to payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal during the 2016 presidential campaign. Despite federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York opting not to charge Trump in 2019, Bragg has brought charges against him for allegedly falsifying business records to hide damaging information from the voting public during the election. The Federal Election Commission also closed its investigation into the matter in 2021. Trump has slammed Bragg after pleading not guilty, claiming that he never thought something like this could happen in America.
Trump’s trial in the hush money payments case is expected to last several hours, and the former president is set to appear in person at the downtown New York City courtroom for the hearing today. The delays and disagreements over evidence sharing have caused the trial to be pushed back, with Trump’s lawyers seeking more time to review the records provided by federal prosecutors. The outcome of the trial and the legal proceedings will have significant implications for Trump and his defense team, as they attempt to navigate the complexities of the case and defend against the charges brought by Bragg.
The back and forth between Trump’s legal team and prosecutors over evidence sharing and the discovery process has added to the complexity and delays in the trial proceedings. The case against Trump in the hush money payments scandal has been ongoing for several years, with various investigations and legal actions taken by different authorities. Trump’s defense team is fighting to have the charges dismissed or for a significant delay in the trial, citing violations and discrepancies in the evidence provided to them. The outcome of the trial and the potential impact on Trump’s future remain uncertain as the legal battle continues to unfold in the courtroom.
