Trump charged in hush money indictment with conspiracy, false records

Former President Donald Trump has been indicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with paying hush money to two women before the 2016 presidential election.

The indictment was detailed Tuesday in a New York court, where Trump became the first former U.S. president to be indicted on criminal charges.

According to the indictment, these payments were intended to suppress allegations by women that porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal had had sex with Trump, and that their stories were unsuccessful. was meant to keep Trump’s chances against Democrat Hillary Clinton from being affected. 2016 election.

Prosecutors also said a Trump-friendly publisher paid $30,000 to a former Trump Tower doorman who claimed there was a story that Trump had a child out of wedlock.

Read the indictment against Trump

Prosecutors during their arraignment in Manhattan Supreme Court said Trump’s crimes undermined the 2016 election.

“Not guilty,” Trump said from his seat to Judge Juan Mercian.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement, “New Yorkers are urging Donald J. Trump to use New York to cover up his crime of hiding harmful information from voters during the 2016 presidential election. They allege that they repeatedly and fraudulently falsified business records.”

“Manhattan is home to the most important business market in the nation. We cannot allow New York businesses to manipulate records to cover up criminal activity,” said Bragg. “As the statement of fact explains, the trail of money and lies reveals patterns that people claim violate one of New York’s basic and fundamental business laws. to ensure that all are equal before the law.”

Prosecutors told the judge that the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office was concerned about Trump’s comments on social media that could threaten the office and the city.

That included one post depicting Trump wielding a bat over the head of District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

The judge said he took Trump’s harsh rhetoric on the case very seriously.

Todd Blanche, one of Trump’s attorneys, told Marchan that Trump spoke forcefully, but he had the right to do so.

According to a Breitbart news story, Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., posted a photo of Marchan’s daughter on Trump’s Truth social site.

“Seems related,” wrote a young Trump. “BS never ends people.”

Daniels received $130,000 from then-Trump attorney and fixer Michael Cohen at Trump’s direction.

McDougal received $150,000 from the publisher of the National Enquirer, a supermarket tabloid affiliated with Trump.

Cohen pleaded guilty to federal crimes in 2018. Two of his cases were campaign finance violations to facilitate payments to Daniels and McDougal.

follow CNBC.comlive broadcast of Surrender and arraignment of President Donald Trump at Manhattan Criminal Court.

A grand jury indicted Trump on Thursday. Since then, the indictment documents have remained sealed.

A grand jury began hearing testimony in the case in late January.

A former district attorney’s office suggested last year that the investigation into Trump was all but over after Bragg refused to seek indictment against Trump in connection with false financial statements involving real estate assets. The news of the lawsuit came as a surprise. .

Trump is under criminal investigation by the Justice Department and Georgia prosecutors for trying to reverse his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden.

The DOJ is also investigating Trump for retaining government records after leaving the White House and for possible obstruction of justice.

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