Trump was produced before the court in police custody
Former US President Donald Trump has been
indicted on 34 counts of falsifying business transaction records. He became the
first former president of the United States to face criminal charges.
Police arrested Trump during his court
appearance in Manhattan, New York, after which he pleaded not guilty to the
crime before the judge. After the court proceedings, he was released and flew
to Florida on his private plane.
Manhattan's district attorney shared the
indictment online, saying, "We will not allow any business in New York to
cover up a crime by altering its transactional records."
The allegations relate to an alleged
hush-hush payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. This matter came to light a few
days before the 2016 presidential race. Trump is accused of paying $130,000 in
bribes to Stormy Daniels in 2016.
The 76-year-old Trump maintains that he did
nothing wrong.
Upon entering the courtroom in police
custody, the former president did not say anything in front of the judge.
Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, said
that he made the payment at the direction of the former president, whose
purpose was to suppress the affair between Trump and Daniels. Daniels claims
that she had sex with Trump several times, but Trump denies this.
Paying to keep quiet is not illegal.
However, Manhattan's district attorney is also examining business records
related to the payment to determine whether it was fraudulent.
Trump's chances of being convicted are
unclear, while he plans to run for a third term.
Even if he is convicted, it cannot prevent
Trump from becoming president again, but it could damage his politics.
He said in his message on social media that
they are going to arrest meI can't believe this is happening in the United
States.
The court has hundreds of Trump supporters
who oppose the criminal proceedings against him and declare him innocent.
Meanwhile, there are also anti-Trump protesters who are holding banners against
him.
Trump's lawyer, Susan Knuckles, confirmed
the indictment in a statement Thursday evening, saying, "Trump has
committed no crime, he is being politically targeted and we will fight it
vigorously in court." ' In a TV interview that aired in March 2018,
Daniels said she had been threatened not to talk about the affair.
What other accusations can be made about Trump?
On January 6, 2021, Trump supporters
stormed Capitol Hill in Washington after he gave a speech urging the crowd to
fight back. It remains unclear whether Trump will face charges of involvement
in the attack.
Another possible charge could be obstruction of an investigation into classified documents found at Trump's Florida home.
The former US president is also being
investigated for pressuring officials in the southern state of Georgia to
overturn Joe Biden's 2020 victory, including a taped phone call in which he
told the Secretary of State They had to find enough votes to change the
results.
Can Trump run for president in 2024?
Yes, of course, they can contest.
Conviction or indictment will not prevent Trump from running for president.
According to the US Constitution, no criminal record is included in the
criteria set for eligibility to become president.
Officials who have been impeached and found
guilty of high crimes and misconduct can be barred from future office, but the
US Senate acquitted Trump in both of his impeachment trials.
The BBC's North America Correspondent
Anthony Zurcher says, "US law does not prevent any candidate from
campaigning or running for president on the basis that he has been convicted of
a crime or even if he is in prison."
