Timeline: Donald Trump’s hush-money trial
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Donald Trump will head to court on Monday as the first former president ever to be criminally prosecuted in a pivotal moment for US politics.
The scandal-plagued 77-year-old is accused of covering up a $130,000 “hush money” payment to Stormy Daniels, an adult film star.
Mr Trump has been charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records by the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
Prosecutors allege Mr Trump altered his business records to conceal criminal activity, including trying to influence the 2016 presidential election illegally.
The case is just one of four legal challenges overshadowing Mr Trump as he gears up for the 2024 election, and some legal observers suggest it is the least serious.
But the very real possibility of Mr Trump becoming a convicted felon – and potentially facing jail time – throws an unprecedented wild card into an already unpredictable election.
What will happen on Monday?
Ahead of any testimony by Mr Trump, the trial will start with a likely lengthy and contentious process to select 12 jurors and their alternates.
The pool of ordinary citizens convened by Judge Juan Merchan must answer a questionnaire including checks on whether they have been members of far-Right groups.
What accusations does Trump face?
Just days before the 2016 election, Mr Trump’s former fixer, Michael Cohen, initiated a $130,000 payment to Ms Daniels, who claims she had a sexual encounter with Mr Trump in 2006.
Mr Trump allegedly reimbursed Mr Cohen in 2017 and reported the reimbursement as legal fees.
In 2023, Mr Trump was indicted over the payments made to Ms Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, and charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Each count represents a document prosecutors claim includes hush-money payments masked as legal fees to Mr Cohen.
What are the other ‘hush money’ payments?
Prosecutors have identified two other alleged hush-money payments to people claiming they had stories about Mr Trump, including a former doorman at Trump Tower and Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model.
These payments were made by American Media, the parent company of the tabloid National Enquirer, so will not be part of this case.
David Pecker, former chief executive of American Media, and other leaders at the company were close allies of Mr Trump, promising him early in his campaign that they would help him with any scandalous stories that may emerge against him, according to The Guardian.
What are prosecutors trying to prove?
In the Ms Daniels case, the jury will have to decide whether Mr Trump buried the payments to her to hide criminal activity, something prosecutors refer to as “concealed crimes”.
Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, has said that the payments hid violations of New York election laws, “which makes it a crime to conspire to promote a candidacy by unlawful means”.
“That is why Mr Trump made false statements about his payments to Mr Cohen. He could not simply say that the payments were reimbursements for Mr Cohen’s payments to Stormy Daniels,” Mr Bragg said when the charges were announced in April 2023.
“To do so, to make that true statement, would’ve been to admit to a crime.”
As well as convincing the jury that Mr Trump fudged his records, prosecutors will have to prove that he also had criminal activity to cover up.
What has Trump said?
Mr Trump denies the charges and his campaign team has characterised the trial as “a full-frontal assault on American democracy”.
“These charges are entirely fabricated in order to interfere in the election,” said the Trump campaign team statement.
Mr Trump also claims he will not get a fair trial in the heavily Democratic New York.
It is thought that Mr Trump will use the trial as a prominent platform to decry what he alleges is “lawfare” and election interference by his political opponents.
He has touted himself as a victim and used supporter outrage to fundraise.
Even if convicted, Mr Trump would be able to appeal and would not be barred from continuing to run or even being elected president on November 5.
