Former President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to charges related to a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Trump, who is the first US president in history to face a criminal trial, appeared in a Manhattan court on Tuesday, where he was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records. The charges carry a maximum of four years in prison each, but a judge could sentence Trump to probation if he is convicted. Trump called the case a “fake case” and part of a Democratic conspiracy to interfere with next year’s presidential election, in which he is running.
During the proceedings, Trump sat silently and spoke only in response to the judge’s questions and to enter his plea. Afterward, he addressed his supporters at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida, stating that the US is “going to hell”. While the charges relate to the hush-money payment, prosecutors also released background documents alleging that the National Enquirer, a US tabloid whose publisher is a long-time ally of Trump, made two other payments to suppress potentially politically damaging stories. Prosecutors said both payments were made by the National Enquirer.
The trial against the former president could begin as early as January 2024, Judge Juan Merchan said. This timing means that Trump could be back in court just as primaries begin to select the Republican nominee for the presidential election. Although the likelihood of Trump’s conviction is unclear, the case has put the country in uncharted political territory. Trump is also the subject of three other investigations related to overturning the 2020 election results, the attack on the Capitol, and his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House.