Donald Trump’s trial date set as he faces charge over money paid to adult film star
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A trial date has been set in Donald Trump’s hush-money case, which centres on the claim he paid off two women – including an adult film star – after they said he had affairs with them.
Jury selection will begin on Monday 25 March, a judge ruled today, turning down requests for a delay from Trump‘s lawyers.
The case centres on years-old accusations that Trump sought to bury stories about extramarital affairs that emerged during his 2016 presidential campaign.
The decision means Trump will become the first former US president to stand trial on a criminal charge.
Prosecutors claim he paid off two women – porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal – as well as a Trump Tower doorman, who claimed to have a story about Trump having a child outside of marriage. Trump denies having any of the sexual encounters.
Michael Cohen, Trump’s lawyer at the time, paid Ms Daniels $130,000 and arranged for the publisher of National Enquirer to pay Ms McDougal $150,000 in a practice known as “catch-and-kill” to bury the story.
Trump’s company then paid Cohen $420,000 and labelled the payments as legal expenses, according to the prosecution. Trump’s legal team argue no crime was committed.
The former president was at the New York courthouse for the hearing and arrived shortly before 9am local time.
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Donald Trump speaking with a lawyer during his court appearance today. Pic: Reuters
It was Trump’s first visit to the building since he was there in April 2023, when a historic indictment made him the first ex-president charged with a crime.
This is the first of four criminal prosecutions against Trump to proceed to trial amid his bid to return to the White House. He is also facing multiple civil lawsuits.
Trump’s lawyers had complained about the trial going ahead as he tries to lock down his place as the Republican nominee for this November’s US general election – claiming it could amount to “election interference”.
In leaving the previously set trial date intact, Judge Juan Manuel Mercha took advantage of a delay in another of Trump’s prosecutions.
His charge for plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 election is effectively on hold due to a Supreme Court appeal from the former president.
Trump’s two other criminal charges are for illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and criminally conspiring to overturn his narrow 2020 election defeat in Georgia.