Trump hush money trial: Former president ‘orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt’ the 2016 election but defence claims ‘nothing wrong with trying to influence an election’

Donald Trump “orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt” the 2016 election, a prosecutor has said at the start of the former president’s historic hush money trial, but the defence claims he did “nothing illegal”.

We take a look a how Trump’s hush money case – the first criminal trial against a US president – opened to 12 jurors in New York.

What did the prosecution say?

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo made the remarks as opening statements as the trial got under way – marking the first time that prosecutors have presented a criminal case against a former president to a jury.

Trump is accused of falsifying internal business records as part of an alleged scheme to bury stories that he thought might hurt his presidential campaign in 2016.

Mr Colangelo told jurors: “The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election. Then he covered up that criminal conspiracy by lying in his New York business records over and over and over again.”

What has Trump said?

Trump said it was a “very sad day in America” as he spoke outside the New York courthouse before opening statements began.

He added that his trial was an example of “election interference”, describing it as “very unfair”.

“People understand what’s going on,” he said, describing the trial as a “witch hunt”.

What did the defence argue?

Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche said he would refer to his client as “President Trump out of respect” as he claimed his client was innocent.

“He’s in some ways larger than life. But he’s also here in this courtroom, doing what any of us would do. Defending himself.”

Mr Blanche went on to ask: “What on earth is a crime? What’s a crime, of what I just described?

“This business records violation, these 34 counts are really just 34 pieces of paper, the cheques that were generated because of invoice and records notation… none of this is a crime.

“You heard the people’s theory that Michael Cohen was trying to cover the payback to Stormy Daniels who also goes by Stephanie Clifford.

“She did sign an agreement for $130,000… President Trump did not pay Mr Cohen back $130,000. President Trump paid Michael Cohen $420,000.

“Would a frugal business man… would a man who pinches pennies… repay a $130,000 (£106,000) debt to the tune of $420,000?”

The lawyer then said: “I have a spoiler alert: there’s nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It’s called democracy.”

Trump, who has secured the Republican nomination for the 2024 US presidential election, said outside court: “I’m here instead of being able to be in Pennsylvania and Georgia and lots of other places campaigning and it’s very unfair.”

The former US president said the trial was “in coordination with Washington” and “done for the purposes of hurting the opponent of the worst president in the history of our country”.

Trump will run against current US leader Joe Biden when the election takes place in November.

First of four criminal trials facing Trump

Today’s opening statements set the stage for weeks of testimony about Trump’s personal life.

A panel of New Yorkers – 12 jurors and six alternates – were sworn in on Friday after four days of jury selection, and will hear what is the first-ever criminal trial against a former US commander-in-chief.

At the heart of the allegations against Trump is a $130,000 payment made to porn actress Stormy Daniels by Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and personal fixer, to allegedly prevent her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump from surfacing in the final days of the presidential race.

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Prosecutors say Trump obscured the true nature of such payments in internal business documents.

Trump has denied having a sexual encounter with Daniels, and his lawyers argue that the payments to Mr Cohen were legitimate legal expenses.

He has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

The hush money case is the first of Trump’s four indictments to reach trial.

In his comments outside the courthouse today, the former president also spoke about his New York civil fraud case as a result of which he was ordered to pay a fine of at least $453.5m (£368m).

New York attorney general Letitia James has challenged a $175m (£142m) bond provided to Trump by insurer Knight Specialty Insurance Co.

The company is trying to convince a state judge today that it is financially strong enough to issue the guarantee after Ms James questioned if the bond was backed by secure assets.

Mr Trump said: “The money was put up, it was $175m and I don’t think (Ms James) is complaining about me for the first time, she’s complaining about the company, but why would she be doing that when I put up the money?”