Former U.S. president’s first criminal trial begins… Trump: “political indictment”

Former US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump appeared in court as a criminal defendant on the 15th (local time), becoming the first former US president in history.

Former President Trump will be on trial for over a month starting today on suspicions that he paid hush money and manipulated company books to prevent a sexual scandal ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

◆Trump, “Attack on America”

This morning, he entered the courtroom of the Manhattan District Court in New York, USA.

Former President Trump told reporters waiting before entering the courtroom, “This has never happened before, and even legal scholars say it makes no sense,” and “This is a political prosecution.” He continued, “This is an attack against America. I am proud to be here. “This is truly an attack on a political opponent,” he said, raising his voice.

Just before the 2016 presidential election, former President Trump paid $130,000 in hush money to his personal lawyer Michael Cohen to prevent the disclosure of his past sexual relationship with former adult film star Stormy Daniels, and in the process of repaying Cohen, the money was recorded in the company’s books. He was handed over to trial in March of last year on 34 charges, including disguising it as legal consulting fees.

This case is one of four criminal trials facing former President Trump. To date, this is the only criminal case scheduled for trial before the November presidential election.

◆Presidential campaign burden…trial four times a week for two months

Judge Juan Mercan of the Manhattan District Court in New York, USA, began the schedule for the criminal trial in which former President Trump is the defendant, starting with jury selection.

Jury selection is scheduled to take place during the first week of the trial, which is the first day of the trial. Former President Trump, a defendant in a criminal case, must appear in court throughout the trial schedule, which is expected to last about six to eight weeks. Trial times are expected to be from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and will be held four times a week, excluding Wednesdays.

As former President Trump, who is running for president, he has to spend weekly time in court for about a month or two at a critical time when he has to travel around the country and focus on election campaigning.

Former President Trump’s team made an all-out effort to postpone this trial until after the presidential election, but this was not accepted.

Former President Trump has denied the allegations of manipulating the company’s books as well as having a sexual relationship with Daniels, and has claimed that the incident was politically motivated ‘election interference’ by the Democratic Party.

◆The testimony of Cohen, Daniels, etc. is likely to have an impact on the election.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who prosecuted former President Trump, plans to focus on proving during the trial that former President Trump committed a serious crime by falsifying corporate documents with the intent to conceal and deceive other crimes. Prosecutor Bragg argues that although falsifying corporate documents alone is only a misdemeanor, it is a serious crime as it is an illegal act done with the intention of hiding unfavorable information that could interfere with the presidential election.

When Playboy model-turned-actress Karen McDougal attempted to reveal that she had once had an affair with former President Trump ahead of the presidential election, there are suspicions that the tabloid National Enquirer paid McDougal $150,000 to buy exclusive reporting rights and then buried it. . David Pecker, CEO of National Enquirer parent company AMI, is a friend of former President Trump. Former President Trump denies having an extramarital affair with McDougall.

US media reports that Cohen and Daniels, who are key figures in this case, as well as Pecker and McDougall, are expected to testify at the trial as key witnesses. Their testimony is expected to have a significant impact on the presidential election.

Reporter Jaeyoung Jeong [email protected]

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