Defendant Trump ‘orchestrated criminal scheme to corrupt election’
Donald Trump “orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt” the 2016 presidential election, a court has heard, as opening statements in his hush-money trial began.
The former US president is accused of falsifying business records in an alleged scheme to bury stories during his 2016 campaign for office.
The charges stem from a payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels by Michael Cohen, Mr Trump’s former lawyer, to prevent her claims of an alleged sexual encounter with the business tycoon from surfacing in the final days of the race.
Prosecutors allege that Mr Trump obscured the true nature of such payments in internal business documents.
“The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election,” prosecutor Matthew Colangelo told jurors in New York yesterday.
Mr Trump, who attended court before it rose early to allow a juror to attend an emergency dental appointment, shook his head at this.
“He covered up that criminal conspiracy by lying in his New York business records over and over and over again,” Mr Colangelo said.
Mr Cohen paid Ms Daniels $130,000 (£105,000) and was reimbursed by Mr Trump, who falsified business records related to the reimbursement, the prosecutor added.
“The defendant falsified those business records because he wanted to conceal his and others’ criminal conduct,” he told the court.
Mr Colangelo said Mr Trump’s willingness to reimburse Mr Cohen “shows just how important it was to him to hide the true nature of Cohen’s illegal payment to Ms Daniels and the overall election conspiracy that they had launched”.
In an opening statement, Todd Blanche, Mr Trump’s lawyer, said: “President Trump is innocent.”
Mr Blanche told jurors that Mr Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2024 election, had earned the title “President Trump”.
Judge Juan Merchan ruled that prosecutors could cross-examine Mr Trump, if he gives evidence, on two other court cases – one that found he fraudulently inflated his wealth on paperwork used to secure loans and insurance, and another that found he defamed writer E Jean Carroll after she accused him of rape.
Before entering court, Mr Trump had repeated that it was “unfair” he had to be there, rather than out campaigning for the 2024 election.
He cast the trial as a “witch-hunt” and a “shame”, aimed at damaging his campaign, and said it was a “very sad day in America”.
Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records.