The People V. Donald Trump: What we know & What to Expect
(NEW YORK) - On Tuesday in Manhattan, former U.S. President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records while trying to cover up a hush-money scheme from 2016.
This historic criminal case makes Donald Trump the first ex-president ever to face criminal charges.
Adding to historical moments, Trump's indictment was placed into the hands of Manhattan’s first Black district attorney, Alvin Bragg.
Reuters said, "Late last year, Bragg's office won a conviction of the Trump Organization on charges of orchestrating a 15-year tax fraud, his office's biggest trial victory to date. Trump personally was not charged in the case."
According to the Associated Press, the indictment focuses on claims that Trump lied about his business records at his private company while trying to silence claims that could hurt his candidacy in the 2016 election.
AP stated that Porn actress Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal claimed they had an affair with Trump before the 2016 presidential election.
"All 34 counts against Trump are linked to a series of checks that were written to Cohen to reimburse him for his role in paying off Daniels." - AP.
MSNBC said that Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, a.k.a "the fixer" made sure that porn actress Stormy Daniels was given hush money to keep things quiet about an alleged affair she said she had with Trump leading up to the 2016 presidential election.
What does all of this mean now that Trump has been arraigned?
For starters, Trump's former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, who testified before the grand jury, pleaded guilty in connection to the hush money scheme - but that doesn't leave Trump entirely off the hook.
Trump is expected to return back to court on Dec. 4, 2024, two months before the Republicans begin their nomination process for the next presidential candidate.
According to the Associated Press, if Trump were to be convicted, it wouldn't stop him from running for or winning the 2024 presidency.
Lastly, "Trump denies having sexual liaisons with both Daniels and McDougal and has denied any wrongdoing involving payments." -AP.
We'll see how things play out when Trump returns to court next year.
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