Prosecutors Accuse Trump of ‘Criminal Conspiracy’ in Opening Trial

In the opening arguments of the criminal trial against former President Donald Trump, prosecutors wasted no time in leveling accusations of a ‘criminal conspiracy’ and a ‘coverup.’ The trial, which commenced Monday, centers on whether Trump falsified business records to conceal a hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

According to prosecutor Matthew Colangelo, Trump allegedly orchestrated a scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election, perpetrating a series of lies to mask his actions. This purported conspiracy involved reimbursing his former attorney, Michael Cohen, for a $130,000 payment to Daniels just before the election, aimed at suppressing her allegations of an affair with Trump.

Colangelo outlined how Trump, alongside Cohen and former American Media CEO David Pecker, allegedly engaged in a strategy dubbed ‘catch and kill’ to bury negative stories about Trump during the election cycle. He referenced a recorded phone call between Trump and Cohen regarding similar allegations made by model Karen McDougal, resulting in a $150,000 payment from AMI to silence her.

The infamous ‘Access Hollywood’ tape, in which Trump made derogatory comments about women, also featured prominently in the prosecution’s narrative. They claimed that Trump’s campaign entered ‘damage control mode’ following its release, fearing the potential fallout of Daniels’ allegations becoming public.

In contrast, Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, vehemently asserted Trump’s innocence, labeling the prosecution’s account as untrue. Blanche argued that Trump maintained a separation between himself and his business dealings during his presidency, emphasizing that the payments to Cohen were lawful and unrelated to any illicit activity.

A pivotal moment in the trial came when Colangelo characterized Trump’s hush money scheme as ‘election fraud, pure and simple,’ urging jurors to rely on their ‘common sense’ in evaluating the evidence. He cited a text message from Daniels’ lawyer to the editor-in-chief of The National Enquirer on Election Night 2016, indicating concern over their actions.

Blanche countered this assertion by asserting Trump’s innocence and dismissing the notion that the payments constituted election fraud. He even went as far as to justify attempts to influence an election as part of the democratic process.

Looking ahead, the trial is expected to span approximately six weeks, with Pecker anticipated to be the prosecution’s first witness. Other potential witnesses include Cohen, Daniels, and key figures from Trump’s inner circle, such as Rudy Giuliani, Steve Bannon, Kellyanne Conway, and Trump’s own children.

The trial follows Trump’s indictment in March 2023, which stemmed from a lengthy investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office into the hush money payments. Cohen’s guilty plea in 2018 for campaign finance violations related to the Daniels payment serves as a significant backdrop to the case.