Trump’s first criminal trial concerns a scandal that’s been unraveling since before the 2016 election.
Topline
Former President Donald Trump will go on trial in Manhattan next week as he faces felony charges for falsifying bank records—the first of his criminal cases to go to trial—which will mark the culmination of a yearslong saga stemming from his alleged affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels and a “hush money” payment made during his 2016 campaign to keep her quiet.TimelineWhat To Watch For
Trump’s trial is scheduled to begin Monday with jury selection and run for approximately six weeks. He faces 34 felony counts for falsification of business records, based on the allegedly falsely labeled reimbursement payments he and the Trump Organization made to Cohen. Those charges could result in prison time if Trump’s convicted, though legal experts believe it’s unlikely he’d be sentenced to prison as a first-time offender.Chief Critic
Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and has denied the criminal case as a “witch hunt” designed to hurt his presidential campaign.
