New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks after previous U.S. President Donald Trump appeared at Manhattan Criminal Courthouse, after his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury following a probe into hush cash paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, in New York City, April 4, 2023.
Brendan McDermid|Reuters
Former President Donald Trump falsified service records in order to “cover up crimes” associated to the 2016 governmental election, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg stated Tuesday after the ex-president’s historical arrest and arraignment.
“Under New York State law, it is a felony to falsify business records with the intention of fraud and intent to conceal another crime,” Bragg stated at a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
“That is exactly what this case is about,” he stated.
Follow CNBC’s live protection of Trump’s arraignment Tuesday.
Trump less than 2 hours previously pleaded innocent to 34 felony counts of falsifying service records coming from Bragg’s probe fixating hush cash payments made to 2 females ahead of the 2016 election. Trump won that race versus Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
Bragg stated Trump made incorrect declarations “month after month” in 2017 when he repaid his previous legal representative Michael Cohen for the payments, declaring they were for legal services.
“Why did Donald Trump repeatedly make these false statements? The evidence will show he did so to cover up crimes related to the 2016 election,” Bragg stated.
The declared plan to hide payments from the general public “violated New York election law, which makes it a crime to conspire to promote a candidacy by unlawful means,” the DA stated.
“These are felony crimes in New York state, no matter who you are. We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct,” he stated.
That declaration came as Bragg has actually weathered a tidal bore of criticism from Trump and his allies, who implicate the Manhattan DA of pursuing a politically prejudiced case, targeting him since he is a leading Republican prospect in the 2024 governmental race.
The grand jury’s vote recently to prosecute Trump made him the very first previous president in U.S. history ever to deal with criminal charges.
The 16- page indictment was unsealed after Trump’s arraignment earlier Tuesday afternoon. The DA’s workplace likewise launched a declaration of truths that detailed supposed efforts to reduce the publication of claims from 2 females, pornography star Stormy Daniels and ex-Playboy design Karen McDougal, who both declared they made love with Trump years previously while he was wed.
