In the criminal trial against former US President Trump for hush money payments, the public prosecutor and the defense made their opening statements. The prosecution makes serious allegations. The defense maintains Trump’s innocence.
In its statement at the start of the hush money trial against Donald Trump, the public prosecutor’s office accused the ex-US President of conspiring to influence the 2016 election. Trump wanted to turn the outcome of the vote in his favor by paying $130,000 to the porn actress Stormy Daniels to prevent compromising reports about his private life from becoming public, prosecutor Matthew Colangelo told the jury in the New York courtroom.
The defense, however, portrayed Trump as innocent. His lawyer, Todd Blanche, said his client had committed no crimes and was “filled with innocence.” There is “nothing wrong with trying to influence an election,” Blanche said. “This is called democracy.” At the same time, Blanche questioned the credibility of Trump’s former confidant Michael Cohen, who is considered a key witness in the criminal case. The case should never have ended up in court.
Payment to porn star declared as attorney’s fee
Trump is specifically accused of falsifying business documents because the $130,000 for Daniels was declared internally as fees for his then-lawyer Cohen – and not as reimbursement for the hush money he had already paid. This was intended to obscure the true purpose of the reimbursement.
According to Cohen’s account, it was hush money intended to keep Daniels from publicly divulging details of an alleged sexual encounter with Trump. Trump’s defense, however, portrayed Cohen as being driven by a desire for revenge and who had already lied under oath.
Forgery to cover up criminal activity?
In order to prove Trump committed a crime, the prosecution would have to convincingly demonstrate that the falsification of the documents was intended to conceal a criminal act.
The prosecution therefore argues that the payment constituted an illegal campaign contribution that Trump used to cover up a sex scandal and adultery shortly before the 2016 election in order to preserve his chance at the highest office of state: “The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal plot, to corrupt the 2016 presidential election, he then concealed this criminal conspiracy by repeatedly lying in his New York business filings,” Colangelo said.
Trump denies allegations
The former US president has denied ever being intimate with Daniels. Blanche said in his opening statement that Trump did nothing illegal when his company marked the checks for Cohen as legal fees. The defense attorney also disputed the allegation that Trump agreed to a payout to Daniels to save his campaign.
The then candidate and later president wanted to use the transfer to fend off an attempt to humiliate him and his relatives. “President Trump hit back as he always does, and he has the right to do so to protect his family, his reputation and his brand. And that is not a crime,” Blanche told the jury.
Three more charges still pending
The trial against Trump began last week with the complicated selection of the jury. The polarizing figure of Trump is seen as a problem in finding sufficiently unbiased people who can judge Trump in the case beyond their personal opinions.
If the prosecution convinces the twelve jurors of the allegations, Trump could face several years in prison, which could also be suspended. However, legal experts consider this to be unlikely. They are more likely to face a fine. Even if convicted and imprisoned, Trump could still run in the next presidential election. In addition, he has the right to appeal against a possible verdict.
Trump faces criminal charges in three other cases. Two of these cases involve his massive attempts to retroactively overturn his 2020 election defeat against current President Joe Biden, and another case concerns his taking secret government documents to his private residence in the US state of Florida. It is unclear when trials on these three other charges might begin.