DON ‘HUSH’ CRUSH
Court hearing on bond deadline day
Former President Donald Trump is set to appear in a Manhattan court for a hearing in his delayed “hush money” case on Monday, the same day he faces a $454 million fraud bond deadline.
Trump will make his third appearance in Manhattan Supreme Court after Justice Juan Manuel Merchan delayed the estimated six-week-long criminal trial.
Trial postponed
The judge postponed the trial until at least April 15 after Trump’s attorneys said they needed more time to dive into thousands of pages of newly disclosed evidence that were dumped on them by prosecutors relating to Manhattan US Attorney Damian Williams’ case against Trump’s ex-fixer Michael Cohen.
Cohen, who squared off with Trump as a witness in his civil case last year, is expected to be a star witness at his criminal trial.
Manhattan prosecutors said in court papers last week that they didn’t expect any additional delay to the trial after revealing fewer than 270 documents turned over were relevant to Trump’s case.
Trump pleaded not guilty last year to 34 felony counts in the Manhattan criminal case in which he is charged with covering up $310,000 in “hush money” payments made before the 2016 election.
The alleged payments were made in an attempt to stop porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal from going public to disclose their alleged trysts with Trump.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against Trump is the first of four criminal cases to head to trial and the first-ever criminal trial of a former president.
The Republican presidential candidate also has to secure the $454 million bond amount before Monday’s deadline in the New York civil fraud case brought by state Attorney General Letitia James in 2022.
Trump recently begged supporters to help him foot the bill after his lawyers said that 30 surety companies had rejected him for a bond that would cover the judgment.
Assets at stake
In February, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron ordered the judgment after a three-month bench trial in which James’ office argued that Trump exaggerated his net worth by billions a year on financial statements to grab better terms on loans and insurance.
If Trump isn’t able to cough up the bond, James can seize some of his prized Big Apple assets, including Trump Tower, a move she has said she’s willing to do.