Key takeaways:
- Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony charges of falsifying business records to hide $130,000 in hush money.
- The charges allege that Trump “repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct during the 2016 presidential election.”
- The criminal charges against Trump are a first-of-its-kind indictment against a former president, and if convicted, Trump could face up to four years in prison.
Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 34 felony charges of falsifying business records to hide $130,000 in hush money he paid during the 2016 presidential campaign. This is the first time in American history that a president has been fingerprinted and faced a judge in a criminal prosecution.
The charges were unsealed Tuesday and allege that Trump “repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election.”
The criminal charges stem from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation into hush money payments, made during the 2016 campaign, to women who claimed they had extramarital affairs with Trump, which he denies.
Trump is also facing other criminal investigations, including two into his failed coup attempt to remain in power despite losing reelection in 2020.
The criminal charges against Trump are a first-of-its-kind indictment against a former president. If convicted, Trump could face up to four years in prison. The trial is set to begin in June.
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