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Donald Trump pleads not guilty to 34 felony counts in hush money case Donald Trump pleads not guilty to 34 felony counts in hush money case
(about 3 hours later)
Mr Trump is the first former US president to be criminally chargedMr Trump is the first former US president to be criminally charged
Donald Trump has been charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, making him the first former US president to face a criminal trial. Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to falsifying business records to hide damaging information ahead of the 2016 election.
Appearing in a Manhattan court, Mr Trump pleaded not guilty after his formal arrest earlier on Tuesday. The former president was charged with 34 felony counts in a Manhattan court on Tuesday.
As predicted, most of the charges stem from an alleged hush-money payment to a porn star in the days before the 2016 presidential election. The charges stem from a hush money payment to a porn star, Stormy Daniels, who says they had an adulterous affair.
Mr Trump, 76, has denied any wrongdoing in the case. Mr Trump, 76, denies criminal wrongdoing.
The BBC is currently reading through the charging sheet and will publish real-time analysis to our live page. He is the first US president in history to face a criminal trial.
A stony-faced Mr Trump said nothing as he left the courtroom after his arraignment. He is expected to return immediately to his Florida home Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday evening, where he plans to deliver remarks at 20:15 local time (01:15 BST). Paying hush money is not illegal. But the prosecution says Mr Trump falsified business records and broke election laws as he tried to cover up the payments.
The case hinges on hush money payments made to two women before the 2016 presidential election to keep them from speaking about sexual encounters they say they had with Mr Trump. Each of the charges carries a maximum of four years in prison, though a judge could sentence Mr Trump to probation if he is convicted.
They are not named in the legal documents, but Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Mr Trump had arranged for $130,000 (£105,000) to be paid to porn star Stormy Daniels to buy her silence. Mr Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, says he made the payment at Mr Trump's direction to keep Ms Daniels quiet about her affair with the then-candidate. "Seems so SURREAL - WOW, they are going to ARREST ME," Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on the way to court. "Can't believe this is happening in America."
The former president sat stony-faced and silent for the nearly hour-long proceedings before Judge Juan Merchan, speaking out loud only in response to the judge's questions and to enter his not guilty plea.
While making their arguments, prosecutors told the judge about threatening posts made on social media. Lawyers for Mr Trump responded that their client was frustrated by the case, which he believed to be a "great injustice".
Mr Trump's trial could begin as early as January 2024, Judge Merchan said, meaning the Republican - who has said he will run for the US presidency again in 2024 - may be back in court just as primaries begin to select the party's nominee.
Mr Trump said nothing to reporters as he left the courtroom.
He is expected to return immediately to his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago, on Tuesday evening, where he plans to deliver remarks at 20:15 local time (01:15 BST).
The case hinges on a hush money payment of $130,000 made before the 2016 presidential election. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said this was arranged by Mr Trump for porn star Stormy Daniels to buy her silence about an alleged affair back in 2006. Mr Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen - who has turned against his former boss - has said he made the payment at Mr Trump's direction.
Prosecutors also pointed to other payments they say Mr Trump made through an intermediary, one of $30,000 to buy the silence of a doorman at Trump Tower who alleged Mr Trump had a secret child, and another of $150,000, reportedly made to pay off Karen McDougal, who alleges she had a sexual relationship with Mr Trump.
The first payment, to the former doorman, was made by US tabloid the National Enquirer. The magazine later determined the story was untrue, but prosecutors say the outlet was instructed by Mr Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen until after the 2016 election.
The second is believed to be to Ms McDougal, a former Playboy magazine Playmate of the Year. It was also made by the National Enquirer - a long-time ally of Mr Trump - as part of an alleged "catch and kill" scheme, where an outlet buys the rights to a story but withholds publication - preventing publication by other outlets.
According to prosecutors, the National Enquirer admitted to paying a source of a story to ensure that person "did not publicise damaging allegations" about Mr Trump before the 2016 election. Mr Trump and Mr Cohen agreed to this scheme, prosecutor Alvin Bragg said.
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The second payment, for $150,000 (£120,000), was reportedly made to Karen McDougal, a former Playboy magazine Playmate of the Year. It was made by US tabloid the National Enquirer, as part of an alleged "catch and kill" scheme, where an outlet buys the rights to a story but withholds publication - preventing publication by other outlets. "Everyone stands equal under the law," Mr Bragg said after the arraignment. "No matter who you are, we will not normalise serious criminal conduct."
According to prosecutors, the National Enquirer admitted to paying a source of a story to ensure that person "did not publicise damaging allegations" about Mr Trump before the 2016 election. The odds of a conviction are so far unclear but the charges against Mr Trump have pulled the country into unchartered political territory.
Hush money agreements are not illegal, but Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg has been investigating whether business records were falsified in relation to the payment.
The odds of a conviction are so far unclear but the charges against Mr Trump - who has already launched his third bid for the White House - have pulled the country into unchartered political territory.
While a criminal conviction would not prevent Mr Trump from either running for president or from re-claiming the Oval Office, the prolonged legal fight may be a major distraction for the Republican front-runner, and will add a new layer of turmoil to his party's primary.While a criminal conviction would not prevent Mr Trump from either running for president or from re-claiming the Oval Office, the prolonged legal fight may be a major distraction for the Republican front-runner, and will add a new layer of turmoil to his party's primary.
"Seems so SURREAL - WOW, they are going to ARREST ME," Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on the way to court. "Can't believe this is happening in America."
Hundreds of Mr Trump's supporters congregated at a park across from the courthouse on Tuesday morning, galvanised by the charges filed against him. They were joined by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a right-wing Republican from Georgia who derided the Democratic party as "communists" and "failures".
"Every single American should be concerned," Ms Greene said of Mr Trump's indictment. Ms Greene, 48, has repeatedly promoted the false claim that Mr Trump won the 2020 presidential election.
Her appearance was met by outrage from counter-protesters who shouted and jeered, at times drowning her speech out entirely.
"Go back to Georgia!" one woman shouted.
The former president is the focus of three other investigations, related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and over his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House.
This story will be updated.
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Hundreds of Mr Trump's supporters congregated at a park across from the courthouse on Tuesday morning. They were joined by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a right-wing Republican from Georgia who derided the Democratic party as "communists" and "failures".
"Every single American should be concerned," Ms Greene said of Mr Trump's indictment. Ms Greene, 48, has repeatedly promoted the false claim that Mr Trump won the 2020 presidential election.
Her appearance drew outrage from counter-protesters who shouted and jeered, at times drowning her speech out entirely.
"Go back to Georgia!" one woman shouted.
Donald Trump is the focus of three other investigations, related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, and over his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House.
With additional reporting from Kayla Epstein in New York
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