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Defense attorneys on Monday argued that former President Trump “is innocent,” maintaining that he “had nothing to do” with the alleged hush money payments that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg argues he orchestrated.
Opening statements were delivered in the historic and unprecedented criminal trial of the former president on Monday.
Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has been charged by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. The charges are related to alleged hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump sits in the courtroom as his criminal trial over charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016 continues, at Manhattan state court in New York City, U.S., April 22, 2024. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/Pool)
Trump has pleaded not guilty to all counts. He has blasted the trial as pure politics, a “political persecution” and maintains his innocence. The former president, and the first ever to be a defendant in a criminal trial, vowed to “tell the truth” if he takes the stand.
Defense attorney Todd Blanche on Monday said there was nothing illegal done, and argued that Trump was protecting himself against false allegations.
“Trump fought back to protect his family, reputation, brand,” Blanche said. “And that is not a crime.”
Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo delivered opening statements on Bragg’s behalf Monday, saying the case against Trump “is about a criminal conspiracy and a cover-up.”
Colangelo argued that months after Trump announced his candidacy for president in June 2015, he invited former CEO of American Media Inc. (AMI) David Pecker to Trump Tower for a meeting. His then-attorney and “fixer” Michael Cohen was also in the meeting. AMI owned the National…
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