Former President Trump is facing multiple legal challenges in New York City, including a hearing related to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s hush money payments case. He is also up against a deadline to post a $454 million bond imposed in his civil fraud trial by New York Attorney General Letitcia James. If he fails to satisfy the judgment, James has threatened to seize Trump’s property and assets. The criminal trial was scheduled to begin, but it was delayed until mid-April to give Trump and his lawyers more time to review evidence from a federal investigation.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York has produced over 100,000 pages of records, but at least 74,000 records were initially sent only to Bragg’s office and not to Trump’s legal team. Trump’s lawyers have argued for a 90-day delay or dismissal of charges due to violations in the discovery process. They say the materials from the federal investigation are critical for Trump’s defense in the state case brought by Bragg, who indicted Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree related to hush-money payments during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York declined to charge Trump in 2019 related to the payments made to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal during the 2016 campaign. The Federal Election Commission also closed its investigation into the matter in 2021. Despite these previous decisions, Bragg has moved forward with charges against Trump, alleging that he falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct during the 2016 election. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has criticized Bragg for the case against him.
The hearing in downtown New York City is expected to last several hours, with Trump facing the possibility of property and asset seizures if he does not post the bond imposed by the civil fraud trial. New York Attorney General Letitcia James granted a 30-day grace period for him to satisfy the judgment, which expires today. The criminal trial was initially set to begin with jury selection, but it was postponed until mid-April to allow Trump and his legal team more time to review the extensive evidence provided by federal prosecutors. Trump’s lawyers have argued for a longer delay or dismissal of charges due to alleged violations in the discovery process.
Overall, Trump is facing significant legal challenges in New York City, including charges related to hush-money payments during the 2016 presidential campaign. Despite previous federal decisions not to charge him in connection with these payments, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has indicted Trump on multiple counts of falsifying business records. The hearing today will be a crucial moment in the ongoing legal battles for the former president, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is fighting to defend himself against the accusations brought against him. Please continue to follow this developing story for updates on the case against Trump.
