Trump pleads not guilty to 34 charges linked to hush money case

At a historic court hearing in New York, former US President Donald Trump has personally pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to 34 criminal charges stemming from hush-money payments made during the 2016 campaign to bury allegations that he had extramarital sexual encounters.

The former president became the first sitting or former president to face criminal charges in a historic arraignment in New York on Tuesday. He was formally arrested and processed at the court and is believed to have had his fingerprints taken.

What are the charges against Trump?

The indictment released during the arraignment included three separate charges of hush money, but the prosecution elevated the charges by saying that they were carried out in order to conceal or commit further crimes.

The unsealed indictment purportedly charges the 76-year old with more than 30 counts of corporate fraud, the most serious of which is allegedly paying 'hush money' to adult actress Stormy Daniels.

"The defendant, in the County of New York and elsewhere, on or about February 14, 2017, with intent to defraud and intent to commit another crime and aid and conceal the commission thereof, made and caused a false entry in the business records of an enterprise, to wit, an invoice from Michael Cohen dated February 14, 2017, marked as a record of the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, and kept and maintained by the Trump Organization," read the indictment.

We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct: Trump Prosecutor

The prosecutor alleged Trump was part of an unlawful plan to suppress negative information, including an illegal payment of USD 130,000 that was ordered by the defendant to suppress the negative information that would hurt his 2016 campaign.

"Donald J. Trump repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement. "We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct," he added.

Trump's lawyers said that Bragg had "turned a political issue into a political prosecution," but called the indictment "boilerplate," saying that nothing new had been added.

The judge warned all those present against incitement on social media but did not impose a gag order, which would restrict Trump and his legal team as well as others involved in the proceedings from speaking publicly about the case.

The prosecution has asked for the trial to begin in 2024.

Trump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud in the indictment, according to US media reports.

Security was tightened in New York, in particular the courthouse in lower Manhattan, as hundreds of Trump's supporters have landed in the city to rally behind him. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has warned against any breaking of law and order.