(CTN News) – In court Monday, former President Trump had mixed results: A judge dismissed his motion to sanction prosecutors and said jury selection for his hush money trial would begin April 15; in addition,
Trump has been given another 10 days to post $175 million bond in order to satisfy the civil fraud judgment against him – a reduction from nearly half a billion dollars to $175 million.
A bond for $454 million was “practically impossible,” Told an appeals court, because he does not have the cash to guarantee it right now. As of Monday, Trump had been facing seizure of his assets if he didn’t post the $454 million bond.
Trump said he would “abide by the Appellate Division’s decision and post either bonds, equivalent securities, or cash.” The statement was highly critical of Judge Arthur Engoron, who presided over the civil trial case, and called the $454 million judgment “ridiculous and outrageous.”
On Monday, a New York judge set April 15 as the new start date for Trump’s hush money case. The jury selection process will begin April 15, and all prospective jurors will be informed that court will not convene on any dates the jury cannot attend because of Passover or other religious observances.
The trial was scheduled to begin Monday, but federal prosecutors have released over 100,000 documents that may be relevant. The court finds that District Attorney Alvin Bragg did not commit malfeasance by releasing those documents late. Trump has pleaded not guilty.
During the 2016 campaign, Trump is accused of falsifying business records in order to hide an alleged affair. It would be a historic first trial against a sitting or former president, even though it is relatively less serious in scale.
It will coincide with the presidential campaign. Presumptive Republican nominee Donald faces Vice President Joe Biden, who defeated him in 2020.
Bragg was accused by Trump of timing the trial to coincide with the presidential election. Basically, it’s election interference, he said.
He is facing state and federal charges related to trying to overturn the 2020 election results. As well as handling classified documents, he faces federal charges.
Stormy Daniels, the adult film actor, planned to go public regarding an alleged affair during the 2016 campaign, according to Michael Cohen, then Trump’s personal attorney.
Since Trump spoke about grabbing women’s genitals on the Access Hollywood tape shortly after the release of the tape, it could be detrimental to his image.
In Cohen’s view, the campaign could not handle another blow like this. To pay Daniels to keep quiet, he formed an LLC. By referring to these reimbursements as a “legal retainer,” Trump allegedly agreed to pay Cohen back — a crime if District Attorney Alvin Bragg can prove falsified the records to cover up another crime: making an illegal payment — in this case, hush money — to benefit his campaign.
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