Former President Donald Trump plans to argue that he didn’t commit any wrongdoing in his impending hush money trial, pointing to the involvement of his lawyers in the incident as the basis for his defense.
What Happened: Trump’s legal team stated in a New York criminal court filing that part of their strategic defense “will be that President Trump lacked the requisite intent to commit the conduct charged in the Indictment because of his awareness that various lawyers were involved in the underlying conduct giving rise to the charges.”
However, this will not be a “formal advice-of-counsel defense”. Such a defense would necessitate Trump proving he fully revealed details about the hush money payment to his lawyers, sought out and received advice that the payment was legal, and then relied on that advice in good faith.
However, Trump does plan to present evidence regarding the presence, involvement, and advice of lawyers in the relevant events leading to the charges.
See Also: Donald Trump Bemoans $91.6 Million Bond Over Carroll Defamation Suit: ‘Sometimes, It’s Not Good To Be Rich’
Trump, who is facing 34 felony charges of falsified business records over allegations he concealed a $130,000 payment from his then-attorney Michael Cohen to adult film actor Stormy Daniels in the days before the 2016 election, will seek to “elicit evidence concerning the presence, involvement and advice of lawyers in relevant events giving rise to the charges”.
Why It Matters: This defense strategy comes amid a series of legal challenges for Trump. A lawyer representing the former President earlier accused the Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, of "misconduct" in his handling of the cases of Trump's former lawyer Cohen and ex-Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg. Todd Blanche argued that Bragg's office turned "a blind eye to the admitted and repeated perjury" of Cohen, who had paid adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged affair with the former president.
The former president is currently dealing with legal challenges on both federal and state levels, across different places like New York City, Washington, Atlanta, Florida, and Georgia. Despite the allegations, he continues to assert his innocence, describing the cases as a “witch hunt.”
According to Real Clear Politics, at the national level, Trump held 47.6% support among voters, While Biden trailed with 45.8% support.
Meanwhile, a documentary on adult film star Stormy Daniels, who is at the center of the hush money case, is set to stream on Comcast’s Peacock.
Photo by Frederic Legrand – COMEO on Shutterstock
This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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