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Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the indictment unveiled in Manhattan on Tuesday. The former president's plea was expected but it nonetheless kicks off an historic criminal case involving hush money payments to two women, NBC News reported. It’s the beginning of what could be a lengthy legal process in New York — and it may only be the first of multiple indictments to come for Trump, who faces additional probes by the Department of Justice and in Georgia.
The broad strokes of the seedy saga are by now familiar. Former Trump lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, who testified before the grand jury convened by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, arranged the infamous hush payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election. The payment was intended to keep her quiet about an alleged affair she said she had with Trump.
The former president has denied the affair, which may be beside the point in a case that could turn more on the manner in which Trump allegedly covered up the hush payment by falsifying business records. Cohen pleaded guilty federally in connection with the hush money scheme in the Southern District of New York. Trump, however, was never charged federally even though Cohen directly implicated him in the scheme.
CORRECTION (Tuesday, April 4, 2023, 3:52 p.m. ET): An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated the charges against Trump included conspiracy. He was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records.