Former US president Donald Trump becomes the first of his kind to face a criminal trial, scheduled to commence in Manhattan this Monday, amidst his alleged attempt to return to the Oval Office. This development is marked by an impending jury selection, it stems from accusations relating to a clandestine settlement made with adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Moreover, the forthcoming US elections, set less than seven months away, poses an additional pressing concern.
Besides this case, Trump, aged 77, also stands accused in three additional pending criminal cases. However, due to ongoing legal disputes, his court appearances could potentially be postponed until after the election, where he stands as the Republican contender against current Democratic president Joe Biden. Two of these concerns include his efforts to invalidate his 2020 electoral defeat, and one surrounds his retention of classified documents, post his departure from office in 2021.
His trial in Manhattan involves accusations of manipulating records to disguise a payment of $130,000, which he allegedly arranged to be paid to Ms Daniels in the latter days of his 2016 presidential campaign. This payment was purposed to suppress her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump at a Lake Tahoe hotel in 2006. Trump, denying all such reports, pleaded innocent to 34 counts of falsifying business documentation in the current case, presided by Manhattan district attorney, Democrat Alvin Bragg. Despite a conviction, Trump will not be barred from running for, or assuming office.
Trump maintains that these indictments are part of a political vendetta designed to stunt his resurgence to power. In retaliation, he has threatened to deploy the US justice department to scrutinise his political rivals, chiefly President Biden.
Experts argue that the case lacks the severity of his other charges owing to its focus on alleged marital infidelity. The defense will likely argue a political bias in the prosecution citing unconvincing evidence. Adam Kaufmann, a previous prosecutor for the Manhattan district attorney’s office suggested that if the prosecution had substantial proof of a serious crime, they would have presented it.
District attorney Bragg argues that the case is an instance of illegally attempting to skew the 2016 elections through suppressing a scandalous tale that would have adversely affected Trump’s campaign. Trump’s representatives have denied these claims, saying the payment made to Daniels is not an illegal campaign contribution.
A recent Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll highlighted that almost 66% of the electorate deemed the allegations levelled in the ongoing case to be quite severe. 25% of the Republicans and 50% of the independents reportedly won’t back Mr Trump for a vote if found guilty of a crime.
The process of assembling a jury could take a few days, drawn from the predominantly Democratic population of Manhattan, before the start of the opening remarks and the presentation of evidence from witnesses. This trial is led by Justice Juan Merchan.
Among the anticipated testifiers are Ms Daniels and Mr Cohen. In a controversial move, Mr Trump intends to offer his defence, a decision that may expose him to detailed scrutiny during prosecutors’ cross-questioning.
The prosecutors alleged that the remuneration to Ms Daniels, also known as Stephanie Clifford, was part of wider “catch and kill” activity targeted at those who could potentially tarnish Mr Trump’s image, curbing their voices prior to the election in which Mr Trump emerged victorious against Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Mr Trump has been incriminated in the wrongful documentation of reimbursement to Mr Cohen as recurring legal upkeep expenditure in his real estate enterprise based out of New York. This act of falsifying business records in New York can lead to a four-year imprisonment, though several culprits convicted for the same offence have only been given penalties or probation.
In his defence, Mr Trump has insisted that during his presidential tenure in 2017, the payments to Mr Cohen were merely for legal assistance. He has dubbed Mr Cohen as a “habitual liar,” and his counsel is likely to question his trustworthiness during the trial. The federal prosecutors who had built the case did not go on to charge Mr Trump, notwithstanding Mr Cohen confessing to have violated campaign finance legislation in 2018 and admitting that Mr Trump had him pay off Ms Daniels.
Unless Mr Trump seeks an exemption, he will be mandated to be present during the trial. This eventuality could restrict his movement to the half dozen closely split swing states, vitally significant for the outcome of the election. Despite this, he has utilised his legal predicaments to rouse his base, with his daily court attendances potentially serving as campaign rallies.
Three efforts to postpone the trial by Mr Trump’s lawyers were attempted in the previous week but were swiftly dismissed by the judiciary. – Reuters
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