Donald J. Trump appeared in court, on Tuesday, for his arraignment on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, becoming the first US president to face criminal charges.
The Manhattan (New York City) District Attorney’s office alleges that on these 34 separate occasions, the former president entered this false information “with intent to defraud and intent to commit another crime and aid and conceal the commission thereof.”
The prosecution alleges that Trump falsified business records to disguise “hush money” payments to women alleging extramarital affairs with him related to the 2016 presidential campaign.
The prosecution has brought the charges—which by themselves are misdemeanors (“lower-tier” crimes)—as felonies (more serious crimes). This will require the District Attorney’s office to show that the records were falsified with the intent to conceal or further another crime.
Trump and his base of followers continue to maintain that this indictment is nothing more than a “witch hunt” of political persecution: Far-right-wing fringe Republican legislator Marjorie Taylor Greene has gone so far as to compare Trump to Jesus Christ and Nelson Mandela.
However, 60 percent of Americans approve of the indictment–advocating the long-standing “rule of law” foundation of American democracy–that even the nation’s leader should be held accountable for crimes committed. Legal analysts are divided on how clear-cut the pathway is to conviction—at least for now.
The next hearing on this issue is scheduled for December. Analysts say that the case will be extended well into the next calendar year, as the next US presidential election looms in November, 2024.