Trump's hush-money case: Timeline

Former US President Donald Trump, the first former President of the US (POTUS) to face a criminal charge, will face arraignment in a Manhattan court on charges related to paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump, 76, flew to New York City in his Boeing 757 aircraft from his Mar-a-Lago home on Monday and arrived at the La Guardia airport around 3 pm EST (12.30 am IST).

Here is the timeline of events leading up to the charges:

January 2018
Controversy broke out after the Wall Street Journal came up with a report claiming that Trump arranged a $1,30,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels (real name: Stephanie Clifford) in October 2016 to prevent her from discussing a sexual encounter she said she had with Trump in 2006.

February 2018
Michael Cohen, a former private lawyer and fixer for Trump, claims about making a payment to the adult actress. Cohen claims that he paid his own money and it was not directed by Trump. Later, he contradicts his own statement and claims that Trump asked him to pay her and he was reimbursed.

Also, the New Yorker magazine claimed in a report that Trump had an affair with Playboy model Karen McDougal from 2006 to 2007. The magazine said American Media Inc, publisher of the National Enquirer tabloid, paid McDougal $1,50,000 shortly after Trump became the Republican nominee for president in 2016 for exclusive rights to her story. However, the story was never published.

April 2018
Trump denies having affair with Daniels and when asked by reporters if he knew about the payment to Daniels, he said, "You'll have to ask Michael Cohen."

May 2018
Trump acknowledged for the first time in an ethics disclosure that he repaid more than $100,000 to Cohen, renewing questions about Trump's ties with Daniels.

July 2018
Rudy Giuliani, one of Trump's personal lawyers at the time, says Cohen recorded a conversation with Trump two months before the 2016 election in which the two discussed a potential payment to McDougal. Trump denies wrongdoing and calls Cohen's tape "perhaps illegal".

August 2018
Cohen pleads guilty to criminal charges in Manhattan federal court, including campaign finance violations over the hush money payments and testified that Trump directed him to make the payments. In their indictment of Cohen, prosecutors say a candidate for federal office referred to as "Individual-1" arranged the payments. Trump was not charged with a crime. Geoffrey Berman, the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan at the time, later confirmed that Trump was Individual-1.

December 2018
On Twitter, Trump calls the hush money payments a "simple private transaction." In an interview with Reuters, he said the payment to Daniels "wasn't a campaign contribution" and "there was no violation based on what we did."

August 2019
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance issues a subpoena to the Trump Organization - Trump's family real estate company - for records of hush money payments.

July 2019
Vance's office indicts the Trump Organization and its top financial executive on tax fraud charges, but Trump is not charged with a crime, and the indictment contains no references to hush money payments.

February 2022
Two top prosecutors leading the probe into Trump's business practices resign. One of the prosecutors, Mark Pomerantz, later said his resignation came after Alvin Bragg - who replaced Vance as District Attorney - indicated to him he had doubts about pursuing a case against Trump.

December 2022
Trump's family real estate company has been found guilty of tax crimes and was convicted on all counts.

January 2023
Bragg's office begins presenting evidence about Trump's alleged role in the 2016 hush money payments to a grand jury.

March 2023
Manhattan prosecutors invite Trump to testify before the grand jury.

March 18, 2023
Trump claims that his arrest is imminent and calls his supporters to protest.

March 24, 2023
The former US President warned of "potential death and destruction" if he is charged in the case.

March 30
Bragg's office confirmed the indictment in a statement.

April 4
Trump, the first former US president appeared before Judge Juan Merchan and pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts inside a packed New York courtroom ahead of a trial that could begin as soon.