Donald Trump’s trial for paying porn actress Stormy Daniels will begin on April 15

Criminal trial against Donald Trump Charges related to money paid to a porn star to maintain her silence will begin on April 15, a judge said Monday, and the Republican presidential candidate could be convicted or acquitted before the United States’ November election.

The date practically guarantees that Trump will happen First former President of the United States to face a criminal trial.

After the judge’s decision, Trump maintained that he “InappropriateThat a trial should be conducted against him during the election campaign. “I don’t know how it is possible to conduct trial during election campaign. It’s not fair. It’s not fair,” said the former president, who must challenge Joe Biden for the presidency of the United States in November.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide payments. 130,000 dollar Former lawyer Michael Cohen for silencing actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.

Daniels says she had a sexual encounter with Trump a decade before he tried to silence her, a version the former president denies.

Jury selection for the case was originally scheduled to begin Monday, but Judge Juan Murchan delayed it until March 15, nearly a month after Trump’s lawyers accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of trying to bury documents that could help impeach them. . Doubts on Cohen’s credibility.

The documents come from the US attorney’s office in Manhattan, which previously investigated the payment but did not charge Trump. Cohen testified Trump ordered him to pay and he went to prison after pleading guilty to violating campaign finance laws.

At a court hearing Monday in New York state court in Manhattan, Merchan questioned Trump lawyer Todd Blanche’s contention that Bragg’s office engaged in misconduct, and asked the lawyer why he did not request the documents be turned over to the federal prosecutor’s office.

Blanche responded that the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Sunday it would turn over additional documents related to Daniels, who has his real name. Stephanie Clifford.

The case is one of several legal problems facing Trump, 77, as he ramps up his 2024 campaign to defeat Democratic President Joe Biden in the election.

The Republican has three other criminal casesWhich focuses on Biden’s efforts to overturn his 2020 loss and his handling of sensitive government documents after he leaves office in 2021.

(With information from Reuters)