Donald Trump wants to run again in the US presidential election. Before that, he has an important date in March: the first criminal trial against an ex-US president.
The trial against former US President Donald Trump in connection with hush money payments to a porn star is scheduled to begin next month as planned. But the upcoming proceedings are already turning into a real mud fight.
Trump’s lawyers have requested in a request that several important witnesses not be allowed to testify. The US news site “The Hill” reported this. The Trump defense team wants to prevent the statements of Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal lawyer, and two women. The women are former porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal.
The 47-page motion calls Cohen a “liar” and accuses Daniels of making “false” and “suggestive” statements. The two women claim that they were paid to keep quiet about alleged affairs with Trump – but according to Trump’s wishes, they are not supposed to testify in court.
Former president pleads not guilty
The 77-year-old Trump is charged with 34 counts in the trial, which is scheduled to start on March 25th: The public prosecutor’s office is accusing him of falsifying business documents. He wanted to hide harmful information and illegal activities before and after the 2016 presidential election in order to improve his chances in the vote.
The background to the case is primarily that Trump had $130,000 in hush money paid to the porn actress Stormy Daniels shortly before his election as president. She had claimed that she had had sex with him. Trump denies an affair, but does not deny that money was flowed.
Non-disclosure agreements between two parties are not in themselves illegal. However, Trump is accused of illegally recording the payments, trying to conceal them illegally and thereby trying to cover up other violations of the law. The ex-president has pleaded not guilty.
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Prosecution wants to restrict Trump statements
The prosecution is also taking drastic measures in the upcoming trial. The public prosecutor’s office in New York wants to restrict public statements by the former US president. This emerges from an application from the office of New York prosecutor Alvin Bragg to the court in Manhattan – the procedure is intended to protect those involved in the proceedings.
“The defendant has a long-standing and perhaps unique history of using social media, speeches, rallies and other public statements to attack people he views as opponents,” said the letter, released Monday. The court should therefore force Trump from the outset to refrain from making disparaging statements.
“I’ll be here during the day and campaigning at night”
According to consistent US media reports, a jury will be selected starting March 25, Judge Juan Merchan confirmed at a hearing at a court in New York. The date had already been scheduled last year.
It would be the first criminal trial against a former president in US history. Three further criminal trials are in preparation and civil trials are also ongoing.
Trump, who was present in the courtroom at the hearing, had previously described the start date as “very unfair” and an undue interference in the election. However, Judge Merchan rejected a request from Trump’s lawyers to dismiss the proceedings. Merchan said he estimated the process would take about six weeks.
The US presidential election, in which Trump would like to run again as the Republican candidate, will take place in November. “I’ll be here during the day and campaigning at night,” Trump announced after the hearing, again criticizing the proceedings as a coordinated attack on his person.
