President Trump on Monday arrived at a Manhattan courthouse in New York City for Alvin Bragg’s Stormy Daniels ‘hush money’ case.
Trump blasted the case as a witch hunt in remarks outside of the courthouse.
“This is a witch hunt. This is a hoax,” Trump said as he entered the courthouse with his attorneys.
WATCH:
🚨BREAKING: Trump makes statement as he enters NY courtroom in case brought against him by DA Alvin Bragg:
"This is a witch hunt. This is a hoax." pic.twitter.com/BF4KWAPByE
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) March 25, 2024
Far-left New York judge Juan Merchan set the Stormy Daniels hush payment trial for April 15.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg previously filed for a delay of up to 30 days in the Trump-Stormy Daniels ‘hush money’ trial in New York City.
Judge Merchan cited discovery concerns for his decision to allow for a delay.
Trump’s lawyers asked for a 90-day delay so they can pour over the thousands of pages of discovery, but the judge denied their request.
“That you don’t have a case right now is really disconcerting because the allegation that the defense makes in all of your papers is incredibly serious. Unbelievably serious,” Merchan said to Trump’s lawyers, according to the AP. “You’re accusing the Manhattan district attorney’s office and the people involved in this case of prosecutorial misconduct and of trying to make me complicit in it. And you don’t have a single cite to support that position.”
Alvin Bragg indicted Trump last April on 34 felony counts related to ‘hush payments’ he made to Stormy Daniels.
Trump was accused of paying porn star Stormy Daniels, AKA, Stephanie Clifford, ‘hush payments’ through his then-attorney Michael Cohen in a scheme to silence her and stop the story about their alleged affair from being published in the National Enquirer.
The payments made to Stormy Daniels did NOT come from Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
The payments were made through internal business records – there was no tax deduction taken and there was no obligation to file it with the FEC, according to Trump attorney Joe Tacopina.
Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Trump was hit with a criminal charge for every payment he made to his former lawyer Michael Cohen in connection with the ‘hush payments’ to the two women.
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg went through the Trump Organization’s ledger and charged him down the line per payment to Cohen.
Every single payment to Michael Cohen was made in 2017 while Trump was president.
Bragg’s office copy and pasted the same charge 34 times and just switched out the check or voucher number.
Alvin Bragg didn’t explain what exactly he wanted to convict Trump of in the charging documents.
Bragg told reporters he doesn’t have to tell anyone what the underlying felony is.
He’s just allowed to charge Trump with 34 felonies without explaining what the underlying offense was.