A New York judge on Thursday rejected Donald Trump’s bid to dismiss charges that he covered up hush-money payments to porn stars, setting the stage for the former US president’s first criminal trial to begin on March 25.
Meanwhile, Trump’s representatives attended heated hearings in Atlanta, pushing prosecutors to disqualify him from pursuing separate charges of election fraud and racketeering.
They are just two of four criminal cases facing the Republican front-runner in his bid to retake the White House, and his legal team has so far failed to delay an actual trial until after the Nov. 5 vote.
Trump, who has used his legal woes to inflame his supporters and denounce Democratic rival Joe Biden, reiterated his claim that the charges were “just a way to hurt me in the election.”
“How can you campaign if you sit in a Manhattan courthouse all day?” he said when he arrived.
In court, his legal team argued that he would not receive a fair trial in New York after another jury in Manhattan convicted Trump of sexual assault and defamation by author E. Jean Carroll. ) $83 million.
Judge Juan Merchant rejected that and Trump’s lawyers’ argument that there was too much media coverage for the jury to be impartial.
“Based on all the information I have, we will have jury selection on March 25,” Merchan said.
“The elephant in the room”
Trump, wearing his trademark red tie and dark suit, fidgeted in his seat as his lawyers argued with the judge and prosecutors over jury screening.
“We cannot ignore the elephant in the room – Mr. Trump is running for president … and the political affiliation of the jurors is something we need to know and understand,” attorney Todd Branch said.
The former president faces 34 counts of accounting fraud related to payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Prosecutors say Trump illegally concealed money transfers to longtime aide Michael Cohen to reimburse him for burying Trump’s alleged extramarital sexual relationships with Daniels and a Playboy model.
Trump, who has promoted his reputation as a playboy for years, has denied a romance with Daniels, who said the relationship began in 2006, or shortly after former first lady Melania gave birth to their child. After the son.
A New York grand jury indicted Trump in March 2023 over payments to Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.
After leaving the court, Trump called the entire proceedings a “disgrace.”
“This is a rigged country. This is a rigged city. It’s a disgrace,” he said.
legal roller coaster
Trump’s lawyers are also representing him in Atlanta, Georgia, where he is accused of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election he lost to Biden.
The hearing was aimed at getting District Attorney Fani Willis and her team of prosecutors to dismiss the case over an alleged relationship with top deputy Nathan Wade.
A combative Willis took the stand and flatly denied that her relationship with Wade began before she hired him to work on the high-profile case.
Willis accused lawyers for Trump and other co-defendants of spreading lies.
“It’s very disrespectful,” she said.
As US media reports, Trump’s legal roller coaster could continue on Friday if there is a verdict in a civil fraud trial in which he is accused of grossly inflating the value of his property.
In that case, he could have to pay up to $370 million and face a ban on doing business in New York state.
He may also face another federal trial in Washington on charges that he conspired to overturn the 2020 election.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from associated news agency – AFP)
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