Trump indictment: Ex-president pleads not guilty to criminal charges in New York
Former US President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 criminal charges against him in a Manhattan criminal court Tuesday afternoon.
The charges stem from an investigation into a hush money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Trump was arraigned in court before Judge Juan Merchan this afternoon on the charges, which resulted from an investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Prosecutors alleged Trump was part of an unlawful plan to suppress negative information including an illegal payment of $130,000 that was ordered by the defendant to suppress information that would hurt his campaign.
The indictment alleges that the reason he committed the crime of falsifying business records was in part to “promote his candidacy.”
The prosecutor at today’s arraignment raised concerns about the effect Trump’s “threatening” social media posts might have on jurors and witnesses.
In the lead-up to his arrest, Trump warned of “potential death and destruction” on his Truth Social site and posted a fake image that showed him swinging a baseball bat toward Bragg.
The prosecutor is “very concerned” about these posts and their potential effects on jurors and witnesses. They are seeking a protective order to protect witnesses.
Judge Juan Merchan said he would not issue a gag order to prevent Trump or his attorneys from speaking publicly about the case but asked the former president’s attorneys to remind him to “refrain from making statements likely to incite violence or civil unrest” on social media.
That means that Trump can continue to use his platform to say whatever he likes about the case and District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who Trump called an “animal” in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social.
That could be an issue for the former president, however, as any threat against the prosecutor could cause further legal issues under New York law. Trump deleted an earlier post that carried an image of him holding a baseball bat next to Bragg’s head.
Trump plans to give a speech tonight at Mar-a-Lago after he returns to Florida.
The next hearing is scheduled for December 4.
