Former US President Donald Trump Pleads Not Guilty to Felony Charges in Hush Money Case

Former US President Donald Trump has been charged with 34 felony counts in relation to a hush money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. Trump pleaded not guilty to falsifying business records and breaking election laws to conceal damaging information. He is the first US president in history to face a criminal trial. The charges stem from a payment of $130,000 made to Daniels, with prosecutors claiming that Trump falsified business records to cover it up.

His former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who turned against Trump, said he made the payment at Trump’s direction. If convicted, Trump could face up to four years in prison for each charge. While a criminal conviction would not prevent Trump from running for president again, it could prove to be a distraction for the Republican front-runner and add a new layer of turmoil to his party’s primary. Trump is also the subject of three other investigations, related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House