Former President Donald Trump is facing trial in New York City, accused of being involved in a conspiracy to make illegal hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg alleges that Trump, then-candidate for president, met with David Pecker, former CEO of American Media Inc. (AMI) which owns the National Enquirer, and his then-attorney Michael Cohen to discuss payments to Daniels to silence her about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump.
Prosecutors claim that Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 and that Trump later reimbursed Cohen through a series of monthly checks from his businesses, disguising them as payments for legal services.
The defense, led by attorney Todd Blanche, argues that Trump is innocent and that the payments were made to protect him from false allegations. Blanche claims that Cohen was acting as Trump’s personal attorney and that Trump had no knowledge of or involvement in the alleged hush money scheme.
The trial, which is unprecedented as it is the first time a former US president has been criminally charged, is expected to last several weeks. The outcome of the trial could have significant implications for Trump’s political future and may shed light on the extent of his involvement in the hush money payments.
