Prosecutors willing to postpone Trump hush money trial for new records
3 Min Read
District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office reveals to the court the decision as a result of receiving around 31,000 pages of records, with more expected next week.
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Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally Saturday, March 9, 2024, in Rome Ga. (AP)
Prosecutors in Manhattan asserted on Thursday their willingness to postpone former US President Donald Trump's hush money trial for up to 30 days to review newly obtained records from federal authorities.
The proceedings, which were set to kick off with jury selection on March 25 in New York, would be the first of the four criminal charges as District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office revealed to the court their decision to postpone having received around 31,000 pages of records, with more expected next week.
The prosecutors stated, “Based on our initial review of yesterday’s production, those records appear to contain materials related to the subject matter of this case, including materials that the People requested from the [US attorney’s office (USAO)] more than a year ago and that the USAO previously declined to provide."
Read next: Trump launches gold sneakers after judge fines him $354.9mln for fraud
Trump’s lawyers asked for a 90-day delay or for the charges to be dropped, citing violations of the discovery process, during which the defense and prosecution share evidence. However, prosecutors argued that the suggested length of delay was unnecessary.
The main focus is a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress who claimed she had an affair with Trump. He has denied the relationship.
Michael Cohen, Trump's personal lawyer and fixer, is a major witness in the case. He pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal charges concerning offering Daniels $130,000 as hush money.
A long road ahead
Last month, prosecutors announced their intention to introduce evidence of a “pressure campaign” by Trump in 2018 to ensure Cohen didn't cooperate with the federal investigation into the payment.
Bragg’s office stated “that the timing of the current production of additional materials from the USAO is a function of defendant’s own delay," adding, “[D]efendant waited until January 18, 2024 to subpoena additional materials from the USAO and then consented to repeated extensions of the deadline for the USAO’s determination."
Trump has been the center of four criminal cases and 91 unlawful allegations, including fraud, battery, and sexual assault. However, he still finds himself among the top-runners for the presidential elections.
It is now evident that the upcoming fall election in November will see a repeat match between two widely unpopular presidents - him and his opponent President Joe Biden. At 81, Biden holds the distinction of being the oldest President in US history, while Trump, aged 77, faces potential decades in prison as a defendant in four criminal cases.
