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On first day of Trump hush money trial, prosecutors say he corrupted 2016 election
Last edited Mon Apr 22, 2024, 08:32 PM - Edit history (6)
Source: Reuters
April 22, 2024 5:45 PM EDT Updated an hour ago
NEW YORK, April 22 (Reuters) - New York prosecutors said on the first day of Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial that the former president broke the law and corrupted the 2016 election by trying to cover up sexual encounters with a porn star and a Playboy model, while his defense lawyer said he committed no crime. Jurors in the historic trial also heard briefly from the prosecution's first witness: former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, who prosecutors say participated in a "catch and kill" scheme to suppress unflattering stories about Trump and help him get elected.
In the first-ever trial of a former U.S. president, Trump is charged with falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016 to keep quiet about a sexual encounter she says they had 10 years earlier. Trump has pleaded not guilty and denies the encounter took place.
Prosecutors portrayed the payment as a criminal effort to deceive voters at a time when Trump was facing other accusations of crude sexual behavior. "This was a planned, coordinated, long-running conspiracy to influence the 2016 election, to help Donald Trump get elected through illegal expenditures to silence people who had something bad to say about his behavior,” prosecutor Matthew Colangelo said. “It was election fraud, pure and simple."
Colangelo told the jury that they would hear Trump working out the details of the scheme in recorded conversations and see an extensive paper trail to back up the testimony of witnesses.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-hush-money-trial-kicks-off-with-opening-statements-new-york-2024-04-22/
Article updated.
Previous articles/headlines -
April 22, 2024 1:50 PM EDT Updated an hour ago
NEW YORK, April 22 (Reuters) - New York prosecutors said on the first day of Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial that the former president broke the law and corrupted the 2016 election by trying to cover up sexual encounters with a porn star and a Playboy model, while his defense lawyer said he committed no crime.
Jurors in the historic trial also heard briefly from the prosecution's first witness: former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, who prosecutors say participated in a "catch and kill" scheme to suppress unflattering stories about Trump and help him get elected.
In the first-ever trial of a former U.S. president, Trump is charged with falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016 to keep quiet about a sexual encounter she says they had 10 years earlier. Trump has pleaded not guilty and denies the encounter took place. Prosecutors portrayed the payment as a criminal effort to deceive voters at a time when Trump was facing other accusations of crude sexual behavior.
"This was a planned, coordinated, long-running conspiracy to influence the 2016 election, to help Donald Trump get elected through illegal expenditures to silence people who had something bad to say about his behavior," prosecutor Matthew Colangelo said. "It was election fraud, pure and simple." Colangelo told the jury that they would hear Trump working out the details of the scheme in recorded conversations and see an extensive paper trail to back up the testimony of witnesses.
NEW YORK, April 22 (Reuters) - New York prosecutors said on the first day of Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial that the former president broke the law and corrupted the 2016 election by trying to cover up sexual encounters with a porn star and a Playboy model, while his defense lawyer said he committed no crime.
Jurors in the historic trial also heard briefly from the prosecution's first witness: former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, who prosecutors say participated in a "catch and kill" scheme to suppress unflattering stories about Trump and help him get elected.
In the first-ever trial of a former U.S. president, Trump is charged with falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016 to keep quiet about a sexual encounter she says they had 10 years earlier. Trump has pleaded not guilty and denies the encounter took place. Prosecutors portrayed the payment as a criminal effort to deceive voters at a time when Trump was facing other accusations of crude sexual behavior.
"This was a planned, coordinated, long-running conspiracy to influence the 2016 election, to help Donald Trump get elected through illegal expenditures to silence people who had something bad to say about his behavior," prosecutor Matthew Colangelo said. "It was election fraud, pure and simple." Colangelo told the jury that they would hear Trump working out the details of the scheme in recorded conversations and see an extensive paper trail to back up the testimony of witnesses.
Tabloid publisher David Pecker testifies in Trump hush money trial
April 22, 2024 12:36 PM EDT Updated 36 min ago
NEW YORK, April 22 (Reuters) - Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker took the witness stand in Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial on Monday to testify about his role in what prosecutors say was a scheme to suppress negative information about Trump ahead of the 2016 election.
On the trial's first day, Pecker, 72, explained the basics of tabloid journalism and said his company often paid for stories. He did not discuss his interactions with Trump but is expected to return on Tuesday for more questioning.
Pecker is the first witness in the first-ever trial of a former U.S. president. New York prosecutors say Trump broke the law and corrupted the election by falsifying business records to cover up a payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet. Trump has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers say he did not commit any crimes. "There's nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It's called democracy. They put something sinister on this idea, as if it's a crime," Trump lawyer Todd Blanche said.
Blanche spoke shortly after prosecutors told jurors that Trump broke the law by deceiving voters. "This case is about a conspiracy and a cover-up, an illegal conspiracy to undermine the integrity of a presidential election, and then the steps that Donald Trump took to conceal that illegal election fraud," prosecutor Matthew Colangelo said. Colangelo told the jury that they would hear Trump working out the details of the scheme in recorded conversations.
April 22, 2024 12:36 PM EDT Updated 36 min ago
NEW YORK, April 22 (Reuters) - Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker took the witness stand in Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial on Monday to testify about his role in what prosecutors say was a scheme to suppress negative information about Trump ahead of the 2016 election.
On the trial's first day, Pecker, 72, explained the basics of tabloid journalism and said his company often paid for stories. He did not discuss his interactions with Trump but is expected to return on Tuesday for more questioning.
Pecker is the first witness in the first-ever trial of a former U.S. president. New York prosecutors say Trump broke the law and corrupted the election by falsifying business records to cover up a payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet. Trump has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers say he did not commit any crimes. "There's nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It's called democracy. They put something sinister on this idea, as if it's a crime," Trump lawyer Todd Blanche said.
Blanche spoke shortly after prosecutors told jurors that Trump broke the law by deceiving voters. "This case is about a conspiracy and a cover-up, an illegal conspiracy to undermine the integrity of a presidential election, and then the steps that Donald Trump took to conceal that illegal election fraud," prosecutor Matthew Colangelo said. Colangelo told the jury that they would hear Trump working out the details of the scheme in recorded conversations.
April 22, 2024 12:08 PM EDT Updated 23 min ago
NEW YORK, April 22 (Reuters) - Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker took the witness stand in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial on Monday to testify about his role in what prosecutors say was a criminal conspiracy to suppress negative information about Trump ahead of the 2016 election.
Pecker is the first witness in the first-ever trial of a former U.S. president. New York prosecutors say Trump broke the law and corrupted the election by falsifying business records to cover up a payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet.
Pecker, 72, said under questioning by prosecutor Joshua Steinglass that he currently does consulting work for American Media, his prior employer.
Trump has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers say he did not commit any crimes. "There's nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It's called democracy. They put something sinister on this idea, as if it's a crime," Trump lawyer Todd Blanche said.
NEW YORK, April 22 (Reuters) - Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker took the witness stand in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial on Monday to testify about his role in what prosecutors say was a criminal conspiracy to suppress negative information about Trump ahead of the 2016 election.
Pecker is the first witness in the first-ever trial of a former U.S. president. New York prosecutors say Trump broke the law and corrupted the election by falsifying business records to cover up a payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet.
Pecker, 72, said under questioning by prosecutor Joshua Steinglass that he currently does consulting work for American Media, his prior employer.
Trump has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers say he did not commit any crimes. "There's nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It's called democracy. They put something sinister on this idea, as if it's a crime," Trump lawyer Todd Blanche said.
Trump schemed to corrupt 2016 election, prosecutors say in hush money trial
April 22, 2024 10:35 AM EDT Updated 21 min ago
NEW YORK, April 22 (Reuters) - New York prosecutors on Monday began telling a jury why Donald Trump's alleged cover-up of a hush money payment to a porn star during his 2016 campaign broke the law, as the first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president got underway.
"This case is about conspiracy of fraud," prosecutor Matthew Colangelo told the jury. "The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election." Lawyers for the Republican presidential candidate will also make their opening statement in what may be the only one of Trump's four criminal prosecutions to go to trial before his Nov. 5 election rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden.
Though Trump called for supporters to protest peacefully at courthouses "all over the Country," few were on hand to greet him when he arrived at the downtown courthouse. Trump suggested tight security measures were responsible for the sparse turnout, but the streets surrounding the courthouse were open to the public.
"Lower Manhattan surrounding the Courthouse, where I am heading now, is completely CLOSED DOWN. SO UNFAIR!!!" he wrote on social media. Prosecutors say Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen's $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier deceived voters in the waning days of Trump's 2016 campaign, when he was facing other revelations of sexual misbehavior.
NEW YORK, April 22 (Reuters) - New York prosecutors on Monday began telling a jury why Donald Trump's alleged cover-up of a hush money payment to a porn star during his 2016 campaign broke the law, as the first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president got underway.
"This case is about conspiracy of fraud," prosecutor Matthew Colangelo told the jury. "The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election." Lawyers for the Republican presidential candidate will also make their opening statement in what may be the only one of Trump's four criminal prosecutions to go to trial before his Nov. 5 election rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden.
Though Trump called for supporters to protest peacefully at courthouses "all over the Country," few were on hand to greet him when he arrived at the downtown courthouse. Trump suggested tight security measures were responsible for the sparse turnout, but the streets surrounding the courthouse were open to the public.
"Lower Manhattan surrounding the Courthouse, where I am heading now, is completely CLOSED DOWN. SO UNFAIR!!!" he wrote on social media. Prosecutors say Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen's $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier deceived voters in the waning days of Trump's 2016 campaign, when he was facing other revelations of sexual misbehavior.
Original article/headline -
Trump hush-money trial kicks off with opening statements in New York
April 22, 2024 7:44 AM EDT Updated 8 min ago
NEW YORK, April 22 (Reuters) - Donald Trump on Monday will hear prosecutors explain why his alleged cover-up of a hush money payment to a porn star during his 2016 campaign broke the law, as the first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president begins in New York.
Lawyers for the Republican presidential candidate will also make their opening statement in what may be the only one of Trump's four criminal prosecutions to go to trial before his Nov. 5 election rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden.
Prosecutors say Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen's $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier deceived voters in the waning days of Trump's 2016 campaign, when his candidacy was struggling from other revelations of sexual misbehavior.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsification of business records brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and denies having had a sexual encounter with Daniels.
April 22, 2024 7:44 AM EDT Updated 8 min ago
NEW YORK, April 22 (Reuters) - Donald Trump on Monday will hear prosecutors explain why his alleged cover-up of a hush money payment to a porn star during his 2016 campaign broke the law, as the first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president begins in New York.
Lawyers for the Republican presidential candidate will also make their opening statement in what may be the only one of Trump's four criminal prosecutions to go to trial before his Nov. 5 election rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden.
Prosecutors say Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen's $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier deceived voters in the waning days of Trump's 2016 campaign, when his candidacy was struggling from other revelations of sexual misbehavior.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsification of business records brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and denies having had a sexual encounter with Daniels.
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