The former president of the United States, Donald Trumpfaces his first criminal trial this Monday, 15th, in New York.
He is a defendant in a case involving 34 charges of falsifying your company’s financial records, related to payments made during the 2016 election campaign.
According to the indictment, Michael Cohen, then an advisor to Trump, made a payment of US$ 130 mil to actress Stormy Daniels so that she would not disclose an alleged relationship with Trump.
Cohen’s reimbursement by Trump would have been masked as legal expenses by the company, constituting a violation of New York laws, as the prosecutor points out.
Jury selection, which begins this Monday, is already a source of controversy, with criticism from supporters of the former president and Trump himself, who accuses prosecutor Alvin Bragg of political persecution. The judge in the case, Juan Merchan, imposed a gag order on the former president, who continues to make public statements about the case.
This trial is just the first of four criminal cases against Trump, which include charges of election interference and withholding confidential documents.
Trump’s defense has been trying to postpone the trial, which could have significant impacts on his campaign for the November presidential election against Joe Biden.
The penalty for falsifying financial records in New York can be up to four years in prison, although the sentence can be lighter for first-time offenders in non-violent cases.
This case is considered key to understanding the prosecution and defense’s strategies in the coming weeks, expected to last about six weeks after jury selection.
With information from Folha
Source: https://www.ocafezinho.com/2024/04/15/julgamento-de-trump-por-fraude-financeira-comeca-em-nova-york/
