Trump Pleads Not Guilty to 34-Count Indictment

Former President Donald Trump, who is also a top contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, entered a not guilty plea in New York on April 4 to an unprecedented indictment brought by the Manhattan district attorney.

News of the indictment, which was announced on March 30, triggered a media frenzy, culminating on April 4 with Trump’s motorcade parade through his hometown as he headed to the New York County District Attorney’s office to surrender himself and hear the charges against him in the New York Supreme Court.

The district attorney accused Trump of falsifying business records with regard to a payment made to adult entertainment actress, Stormy Daniels, and Trump’s then-attorney, Michael Cohen, over a nondisclosure agreement.

The indictment is seen by Trump and his supporters as part of a larger effort to use government agencies against political opponents.

The charges have been made by the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, who was elected as a Democrat in a district that skews blue.

The charges against Trump are all related to falsifying business records in the first degree under New York State Statute 175.10. Each of the 34 counts deals with the paper trail related to the payment that a Trump entity made to Cohen, including business ledger entries, invoices, and checks.

Bragg alleged that Trump falsified business records with the intent to cover up campaign contribution-related crimes at both the state and federal levels. Those alleged crimes, according to Bragg, included payments to Daniels and another model, Karen McDougal, who received money from the publisher of the National Enquirer for the rights to her story about an alleged affair with Trump. Trump’s attorneys, however, have previously said that the payments weren’t made with campaign funds.

“These are felony crimes in New York State, no matter who you are. We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct,” Bragg said in a press conference after the arraignment hearing.

Trump’s attorneys, speaking to the press outside the courthouse, noted the uniqueness of the case, which concerns a former president, and its overall lack of merit.

Trump’s trial date has yet to be set. Bragg has asked for a January 2024 trial date, while Trump’s attorneys have requested an April 2024 date.

Outside the Courthouse

Outside the courthouse, arguments between Trump’s supporters and counter-protesters quickly drew dozens of cameras. The scene grew tense as Rep. Marjorie Greene (R-Ga.) spoke briefly in Trump’s defense, and a group of conservative pundits addressed the crowd.

A handful of hecklers blew whistles and shouted obscenities as Greene spoke.

“Every American should take a stand. This is what happens in communist countries. Not the United States of America,” she said. “Donald Trump is innocent. This is election interference.”

Trump first spoke of the potentiality of an indictment on March 18, writing on his social media platform that he expected to be arrested the following week.

Trump Tower

The scene outside of Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan, where Trump exited after surrendering himself, was relatively subdued with news cameras monitoring the entrances throughout the morning.

Trump Tower was also the site of his 2016 presidential campaign announcement and the early days of his presidential transition. It was there that then-FBI Director James Comey briefed him about a dossier of unverified allegations that the bureau was already investigating, which was later found to be funded by the Clinton campaign and composed by a Russian national working for a former British spy.

In a later message, sent while Trump was still en route to New York County District Attorney’s office, the former President urged his followers to “protest, take our nation back!”