Donald Trump, former president of the United States has pleaded not guilty to 34 count charges related to accounting of alleged hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election campaign.
Trump was arraigned Tuesday in a NYC courtroom following his indictment as part of the Manhattan DA’s Office’s years-long investigation
District Attorney Alvin Bragg has been investigating Trump over his alleged role in a scheme that directed hush money payments to two women during the 2016 election.
The charges against Trump are class E felonies, each carrying a maximum sentence of four years. However, with 34 counts being faced by the former president it means a maximum sentence of up to 136 years in jail.
Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen is known to have facilitated payments to two women in order to keep them silent about alleged affairs with Trump: former adult film star Stormy Daniels and ex-Playboy model Karen McDougal.
Cohen pleaded guilty to arranging the payments but a former legal advisor to Cohen, Robert Costello, testified before the grand jury that Cohen was a “serial liar.”
Trump was indicted last Thursday by a Manhattan grand jury, becoming the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges.
He is expected to speak to reporters from his Mar-a-Lago home later Tuesday evening.
Some legal experts had speculated before Tuesday’s arraignment that Trump may be subject to a gag order limiting what he could publicly say about the case, but Justice Juan Merchan, who presided over the proceedings, declined to put the restriction in place.
Trump and Republican allies have accused the Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg of launching a politicized attack on Trump — who is running for president in 2024.
Ifunanya Ikueze is an Engineer, Safety Professional, Writer, Investor, Entrepreneur and Educator.
