A trial date has been set in Donald Trump’s hush-money case, which centers 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 centers 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 labeled the payments as legal expenses, according to the prosecution. Trump’s legal team argues no crime was committed.
The former president was at the New York courthouse for the hearing and arrived shortly before 9am local time.
