Judge sets March trial date in Donald Trump’s New York hush money case
- The New York judge’s decision paves the way for the first-ever criminal trial of a former US president
- Case centres on a US$130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels to prevent her from publicly speaking before the 2016 election about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump
A New York judge denied Donald Trump’s request to dismiss criminal charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star, paving the way for the first-ever criminal trial of a former US president.
Trump, 77, the front runner for the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden in the November 5 US election, has asked Justice Juan Merchan to toss a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records to cover up the US$130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.
Ahead of the hearing, Trump repeated his claims that the case is politically motivated. “They wouldn’t have brought this except for the fact – no way – except for the fact that I’m running for president and doing well,” he said in a hallway outside the courtroom.
The trial was scheduled to start on March 25, before the three other criminal cases Trump faces. Trump has pleaded not guilty.
A handful of protesters held signs denouncing Trump and shouted “no dictators in the U.S.A.” outside the courthouse.
Trump has used his frequent court dates to help raise money for his presidential campaign, though the strategy is seeing diminishing returns after he raked in millions around his first appearances last year.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat. He has pressed for the case to be dismissed, arguing that state laws do not apply to federal elections.
