Former US President Donald Trump has recently pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records stemming from his involvement in a hush-money payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels. Prosecutors in the Manhattan district attorney’s office allege Trump was part of a conspiratorial scheme designed to buy negative stories in order to prevent damage to his presidential election campaign. Trump pleaded not guilty on Tuesday at his arraignment.
If convicted, Donald Trump could face a maximum prison sentence of four years per count, though a judge could opt for probation instead. But what exactly are the charges against the former president, and what is the evidence prosecutors have offered up so far?
The charges relate to a $130,000 hush-money payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels that was made to suppress her story of a sexual liaison with Trump during the 2016 campaign. As prosecutors allege, President Trump himself had reimbursed his fixer, Michael Cohen, for the hush money, and to cover up the payment, the Trump Organization falsified business records.
The 34 counts of falsifying records involve 11 counts of payment checks, 11 counts of monthly invoices Cohen submitted to the company, and 12 counts of entries in the general ledger for Trump’s trust. Falsifying business records can be charged as a misdemeanor offense, though District Attorney Alvin Bragg must prove in this case Trump intended to commit or conceal a secondary crime to elevate the charges to a felony level.
At a news conference held after the arraignment, Bragg mentioned a possible violation of a state election law that bars any conspiracy to promote “the election of a person to public office by unlawful means” as one of the secondary crimes. Bragg’s office also revealed the former president had been linked to three other hush-money deals, namely payments to a former Trump Tower doorman and Playboy’s Playmate of the Year in 1998, Karen McDougal, both of whom had stories to tell of a romantic liaison with Trump during the 2016 campaign. The payment to Daniels appeared to be part of a broader scheme to influence the election by buying damaging stories about Trump with the intention of suppressing them.
In order to support the 34 felony counts, Manhattan prosecutors must prove that Trump intended to defraud and perpetuate a secondary crime. The case against the former president is sure to be a strong one, though it remains to be seen whether the former president will be handed the maximum sentence the law allows.
The Michael Cohen Crisis Communications company, founded by Michael Cohen in 2001, is a global strategic communications company based in New York City. The company specializes in crisis communications, public relations and legal consulting across a broad range of sectors, as well as offering research, media outreach, and executive training services. The company has represented sensitive matters for numerous clients including companies, celebrities, politicians, and high profile individuals.
Donald Trump is an American businessman and 45th president of the United States. Trump is a former reality television star whose real estate business interests around New York have made him very powerful. He is known for his tough business practices and bombastic demeanor, as well as his tight-knit links with many corporate entities. He was formally impeached in 2019 over his links to Ukraine and is currently facing multiple charges relating to the hush money scandal involving porn actress Stormy Daniels.
