Trump pleads not guilty in Manhattan court
Former President Donald Trump sits at the defense table with his legal team in a Manhattan court, Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in New York. Trump is appearing in court on charges related to falsifying business records in a hush money investigation, the first president ever to be charged with a crime.
AP Photo/Seth Wenig, Pool
Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 34 New York state felony offenses related to what prosecutors say were hush money payments to an adult film star.
In a brief appearance in a Manhattan trial court, Trump, the first former president to face criminal prosecution, learned he was charged with falsifying business records 34 times from February to December 2017.
According to a 16-page indictment and attached statement of facts that were unsealed Tuesday, Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, paid Stormy Daniels, a porn actor who said she had a sexual relationship with Trump, $130,000 in exchange for her silence about the supposed relationship during the 2016 presidential race.
Trump then repaid Cohen in 34 payments over the course of 2017, but described them in Trump Organization records as payments for legal services, meant to cover up the payment to Daniels, prosecutors said.
Trump, a Republican candidate for president in 2024, denies having an affair with Daniels.
“These are crimes in New York no matter who you are,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said following the arraignment.
“Everyone stands equal before the law,” he added. “No amount of money and no amount of power changes that enduring American principle.”
Responding to a question asking why Bragg brought charges after his predecessor and federal prosecutors declined to do so, Bragg said his office had new evidence that wasn’t available to the prior district attorney and that New York state, as the “business capital of the world,” had a particular interest in prosecuting business fraud cases.
Trump has accused Bragg of being motivated by politics.
Just before arriving at the arraignment, Trump posted to his social media site, Truth Social.
“Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse” he wrote. “Seems so SURREAL — WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!”
Trump left the courthouse without commenting but spoke later Tuesday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where he again protested his innocence.
In a speech to hundreds of supporters, including former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and Roger Stone, Trump lashed out at the prosecution, the prosecutor and the judge presiding over the case, reported the Associated Press.
“I never thought anything like this could happen in America,” Trump said of the New York indictment, according to the AP. “This fake case was brought only to interfere with the upcoming 2024 election and it should be dropped immediately."
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