Trump on Trial: Week 1

“There is nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It’s called democracy.”

Today wrapped the first week of The State of New York v. Donald Trump. With the jury being finalized, both sides gave opening statements on Monday.

For background, Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records, a low level felony. The charges relate to the $130,000 in “hush money” paid to Stormy Daniels by Michael Cohen prior to the 2016 election. It’s alleged that throughout 2017, in order to conceal the purpose of the payment to Daniels, that Donald Trump “made and caused” falsified business records – invoices, check stubs, and ledgers – that were “kept and maintained by the Trump Organization.”

Before openings, Judge Juan Merchan made some key rulings on the type of evidence and testimony that the State would be allowed to elicit, including:

1. Trump’s alleged violation of NY law “by fraudulently misstating the value of his assets for an economic benefit.”

2. Trump’s alleged violation of Court orders concerning statements about the law clerk in his property valuation case.

3. Trump’s alleged defamation against E. Jean Carroll.

4. Trump’s stipulation to the dissolution of the Donald J. Trump Foundation to resolve claims by the New York Attorney General that he engaged in repeated and willful self-dealing transactions.”

Opening Statements: The State

Opening statements – where both sides outline the facts they will prove at trial – revealed the State’s focus on the conspiracy to commit “election fraud” was the basis to create the alleged falsified documents. According to the State:

“Donald Trump orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 election; then he covered up that criminal conspiracy by lying in his New York business records over and over and over again.”