Former President Donald Trump is set to make history as he becomes the first former president to stand trial over criminal charges. The trial, dubbed the “hush money case,” is set to kick off on Monday in Lower Manhattan, marking a significant moment in American political history.
The case stems from payments made by Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016 to allegedly silence her claims of an extramarital affair with Trump. The trial will also feature two other payments made to individuals who claimed to have damaging information about Trump.
Prosecutors allege that the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen for the payments and fraudulently logged them as legal expenses. The charges against Trump include 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, with prosecutors aiming to prove that Trump falsified records to commit or conceal a second crime, which would elevate the charges to a felony.
Legal experts speculate that if convicted, Trump could face up to a decade in prison, though it is unlikely he would serve a lengthy sentence. The trial will be presided over by Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan, who has overseen high-profile cases in the past.
Trump has vehemently denied the allegations in the case and has called it a “scam” and a “witch hunt.” He has stated that he will testify in the trial and has criticized the proceedings as a politically motivated attack orchestrated by the Biden administration.
The trial will not be televised, and Trump is required to be present in the courtroom throughout the proceedings, which are expected to last between six and eight weeks. As the trial unfolds, it will undoubtedly have significant implications for Trump’s political future as he simultaneously campaigns for the 2024 election.
