Trump under arrest in hush money case; pleads not guilty
Republican Donald Trump, who became the first former US president to be indicted, appeared before the Manhattan District Office on Tuesday. He pleaded not guilty after being accused of 34 felony counts, including falsifying business records. He is facing criminal charges for allegedly paying pornstar Stormy Daniels $130,000 in hush money before the 2016 presidential election, to silence claims of his extramarital sexual encounter.
Why does this story matter?
The case's proceedings could jeopardize Trump's chances as the front-runner Republican nominee for the 2024 US presidential election. It could also impact the Capitol Hill attack case, in which his supporters allegedly laid siege to the US Capitol after he was voted out of power. The case against Trump is allegedly viewed by Republicans as a Democratic plot to eliminate him from the election.
Trump was impeached twice earlier but was acquitted later
Before his court appearance, his fingerprints were taken. However, Trump is unlikely to be handcuffed, sent to a jail cell, or subjected to a mug shot. A New York grand jury indicted him on Thursday, and on Monday, he arrived in New York from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. During his presidency, the House of Representatives impeached him twice but the Senate acquitted him.
What do we know about the case?
The case against Trump revolves around Daniels's claims that Trump had a sexual encounter with her at a celebrity golf outing in Lake Tahoe in 2006. In 2016, during Trump's presidential campaign, Daniels expressed her willingness to issue an official statement confirming her sexual encounter. Trump's then-lawyer allegedly paid Daniels to hush up the matter to save his presidential campaign, which he eventually won.
