4-04-2023 7:18pm

Donald Trump has entered a plea of not guilty to charges outlined in a 34-count indictment

Samantha Hespos Editor

New York, NY

Donald Trump, the ex-president and potential candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, entered a not-guilty plea in New York on April 4 in response to an extraordinary indictment filed by the Manhattan district attorney.

After the historic indictment on March 30, media frenzy persisted for several days until April 4 when Trump's motorcade paraded through his cherished home city to the office of Alvin Bragg, the New York County District Attorney. Trump surrendered himself and was informed of the charges against him in the New York Supreme Court.

Continuing a story that originated soon after his victory in the 2016 election, the district attorney has accused Trump of committing 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a payment made for a non-disclosure agreement signed by Stormy Daniels, an adult entertainment actress, and Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen.

The Manhattan indictment is regarded by the president and his supporters as a new and astounding event in what they perceive to be the government's use of power to combat a political adversary, amid his unexampled second impeachment, a lengthy and intensive investigation into purported collusion with Russia, and the search of his personal property.

Bragg, a Democratic representative chosen from a strongly Democratic county, is well suited to bring such accusations as the district attorney has recently instructed his office not to pursue certain crimes, namely armed robbery, burglary, prostitution, and drug-related offenses.

Bragg, a Democratic representative from a county with a strong Democratic presence, is the right candidate to voice allegations against the district attorney since it has been reported that the attorney has advised his office to refrain from investigating specific crimes such as drug-related offenses, prostitution, burglary, and armed robbery.

Bragg claimed during a press briefing following the arraignment hearing that Trump committed acts of falsifying business documents to conceal state and federal offenses tied to campaign donations. Bragg further alleged that these purported violations comprised payments made to Karen McDougal and Daniels. McDougal, a model, was given payment by the National Enquirer to secure the publishing rights for her story about an alleged affair with Trump.

In the past, Trump stated that the payments were not financed by his campaign. However, the indictment does not present any proof of Trump compensating McDougal.

During the news briefing, Bragg stated that violating the business records by making false statements with an aim to deceive and hide an additional crime is a severe felony according to the legislation of New York state. This particular case involves the occurrence of 34 deceptive statements made with the purpose to conceal other criminal activities.

Regardless of who commits them, these are considered serious criminal offenses in New York state. We refuse to make such behavior acceptable or commonplace.

Outside the courthouse, Trump's lawyers spoke to journalists and explained that the case is unique, not only because it involves a former president, but also for other reasons.

During the hearing, Joe Tacopina, one of the three attorneys representing Trump, mentioned that a state prosecutor is pursuing a violation of federal election law which federal election law officials claim does not occur.

A trial date was not established by Judge Juan Merchan, but the prosecutors suggested January 2024 while Trump's lawyers preferred April 2024. Bragg's office has a 65-day period to present discovery materials, whereas the defense has until August 8 to file all pretrial motions.

The lawyers representing Trump have already suggested that they will submit a request to have the case dismissed.

Before Trump's arrival at the downtown Manhattan courthouse, police put up barriers in a nearby park to keep his supporters separated from those who were celebrating his indictment. The park was heavily monitored by the news media, and confrontations between protesters and counter-protesters were quickly captured by dozens of cameras.

As Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) arrived, the atmosphere became chaotic and stressful. She spoke briefly in support of Trump before passing the bullhorn to some conservative commentators, such as Jack Posobiec. NY policemen tried to control the media and attendees as Greene climbed on a bench.

She stated that she came to a peaceful protest to express her opposition against the government's persecution of an innocent man, who happens to be the former president of the United States and the abuse of governmental power against him.

As Greene spoke, a few people heckled her by blowing whistles and shouting obscenities.

She conveyed that all Americans should stand up and that such behavior is seen in communist countries rather than in the United States. Additionally, she stated that Donald Trump is innocent and this constitutes election interference.

On March 18, Trump made a statement on Truth Social where he speculated about the likelihood of being indicted, and he claimed that he anticipated his arrest in the upcoming week.

"At the time, he urged for a protest to take our nation back," he said.

On March 30th, the former president's attorneys confirmed that Trump had been indicted by the prosecutors.

Trump Tower

The scene outside of Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan was more subdued than the cacophony next to the courthouse. Television cameras live-streamed footage of the tower entrances throughout the morning. Trump waved and pumped his fist upon exiting the tower, which was the site of his 2016 presidential campaign announcement and the early days of the presidential transition.

In 2017, while in his office located in Trump Tower, James Comey, who was the FBI Director at that time, informed Trump about an unverified dossier that the bureau had already started investigating. The dossier was discovered to have been created by a Russian national who worked for a former British spy and was funded by the Clinton campaign. Despite the lengthy investigation that ensued, none of the claims about Trump in the dossier were found to be true.

Trump sent a Truth Social message on his way to the courthouse in Lower Manhattan, expressing his disbelief that he was about to be arrested and describing the situation as surreal. He also added "MAGA!" in the message.

At around 12:20 p.m., the courthouse was approached by the motorcade of the Secret Service. Trump left a black SUV, waved at a series of cameras installed across the street from the blockage, and hurriedly entered a side entrance of the building at 100 Centre Street.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refused to provide a statement regarding the indictment during a briefing that commenced around the same time that Trump arrived at the downtown area.

Jean-Pierre stated that their attention is not on the indictment of Trump, but rather on finding ways to decrease the prices for the American people.

In the upcoming 2024 election, even the Republican candidates who have not yet announced their candidacy have expressed condemnation of the indictment against Trump and have come to his defense. This unity among the potential opponents, even during a time when the front-runner usually faces vulnerability, indicates a real concern among Republicans about the government's misuse of power. It's possible that these candidates are trying to navigate the delicate balance of endorsing the Trump agenda while distancing themselves from the man himself, who spurred unwavering zeal for the platform among the base of Republican voters.

The action taken by Bragg was criticized as un-American by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Meanwhile, Former Vice President Mike Pence referred to it as a poor judgment made by a prosecutor driven by politics while speaking on CNN that same evening.

Nikki Haley, a former Governor of South Carolina who has officially announced her candidacy for the presidency, stated that the situation is focused on seeking revenge rather than attaining justice, in contrast to Pence and DeSantis.

It is unclear how the 2024 election will be impacted by the indictment, as there is no unanimous agreement on this matter. After the news of the indictment was released, Jason Miller, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, reported that $7 million was raised within three days. Some of Trump's supporters may view the arrest on April 4 as evidence that the government has turned against a portion of the population, which validates the former president's previous warnings. This view is reinforced by the similarity between the treatment of the April 4 arrest and the Jan. 6, 2021, protesters.

According to Trump's Truth Social profile bio, they are not pursuing him but rather you and he is simply a barrier.

Regarding Stormy Daniels, it seems that those who targeted Trump have been dealt with by the justice system. Michael Avenatti, who represented Daniels, became famous in the media for several months but ended up facing three criminal indictments. He was convicted of wire fraud, attempted extortion, aggravated identity theft, and obstruction. He is currently serving time and scheduled for release on March 2, 2036.

On April 4, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals granted the ex-president around $122,000 in lawyer fees from Daniels due to her unsuccessful defamation lawsuit against Trump in 2018. Eric Trump stated on Twitter that this sum is separate from the approximately $500,000 she already owes his father.

Michael Cohen, the former attorney of Trump, is expected to be the primary witness against him. As a result of pleading guilty to campaign finance charges related to the Stormy Daniels non-disclosure agreement, Cohen was imprisoned in May 2019. According to a former Federal Elections Commission chairman who spoke to The Epoch Times in August 2018, the charges to which Cohen pleaded guilty were not considered criminal offenses.