Former President Donald Trump turned himself in Tuesday in a New York court and pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
Prosecutors say the former president tried to undermine the integrity of the 2016 election.
According to prosecutors, Trump was part of an illegal conspiracy to suppress negative information, which included an illegal payment of $130,000 that the defendant ordered to remove negative information that could affect his presidential campaign.
The reason Trump committed the crime of falsifying business records was in part to “advance his candidacy,” the indictment contends.
The indictment brought against Trump by a grand jury last week was unsealed Tuesday, providing the audience, and Trump’s legal team, with the first details about the specific charges he faces. The investigation stemmed from a hush money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign.
The former president’s voice was put to the test in the courtroom. Trump walked in slowly scanning the reporters and looked at the judge as he was speaking.
