Last Tuesday, April 4, former US President Donald Trump was arrested in New York.
It was a formal arrest – for two hours, before formal charges were brought against the charismatic politician.
According to TASS, a high-ranking defendant is accused of forging financial documents of the Trump Organization when paying money to former porn actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election campaign.
First precedent in history
The precedent marked the first time in US history that a former head of state was accused of committing a criminal offense.
According to available information, consideration of this case on its merits is expected in January next year.
By the way. After Trump was formally charged, he left New York and returned to his estate in Florida.
In total, the former American leader was under arrest for about two hours.
It is known that Trump was not handcuffed, he was not photographed, and his fingerprints were taken in advance.
It is noted that the media did not receive permission to broadcast the trial.
The essence of the accusation
New York City Attorney Alvina Bragg accused Trump of falsifying financial records to cover up crimes related to the 2016 presidential election.
According to investigators, lawyer Michael Cohen paid former porn actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 so that she would not spread information about her relationship with Trump in 2006 during the election campaign.
The lawyer was reimbursed for these expenses by the Trump Organization.
Trump was charged with 34 counts in this case. And the prosecutor’s office plans to involve the aforementioned Daniels as a witness.
Trump’s reaction
American media write that each of these 34 charges carries a maximum penalty of up to 4 years in prison.
The next preliminary hearing is scheduled for December 4, 2023, and the hearing on the merits is scheduled for January 2024.
Trump pleaded not guilty to any of the charges in court. And later he said that this was “not a trial, this is persecution.”
And he accused Democrats of trying to use the law to interfere in the 2024 presidential election.
