At Donald Trump’s trial, the prosecution denounces “a criminal conspiracy to rig the 2016 presidential election”

The second week of the trial of the former President of the United States opened on Monday, alternating between the interventions of a very angry accusation and those of the accused’s lawyer, who says he is “totally innocent”.

“Criminal conspiracy”, “electoral fraud”, lies and cover-ups… On the first day of the second week of Donald Trump’s historic trial, Monday April 22, prosecutors did not mince their words. Former President of the United States appears in Manhattan court in the case of hidden payments aimed at buying the silence of a former pornographic film actress, just before the 2016 presidential election.

The prosecution asserted that the Republican billionaire “orchestrated a criminal conspiracy to rig the 2016 presidential election” Then “lied in accounting documents, again and again”for the “hide”. Donald Trump is accused of 34 falsifications of accounting documents of the Trump Organization. “It’s electoral fraud, pure and simple”argued prosecutor Matthew Colangelo, under the eyes of the twelve jurors.

According to the prosecution, these falsifications made it possible to conceal a posteriori, under cover of “legal fees”, the payment by Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, of $130,000 to former actress Stormy Daniels, just before the 2016 election. The money was used to buy the actress’s silence over a sexual relationship that occurred ten years earlier while the Republican billionaire was married. Donald Trump has always refuted any affair with Stormy Daniels.

“Nothing illegal”, according to his lawyer

“Where is the crime in all that has been described to you?” slammed Donald Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, in response to the accusation. Qualifying the charges “pieces of paper, nothing else”he retorted that his client had nothing to do “with these 34 pieces of paper, other than the fact that he signed them while he was in the White House, while he was running the country”.

“I’m going to teach you something.”Todd Blanche continued. “There is nothing illegal about trying to influence an election. It’s called democracy.” According to him, Donald Trump is therefore “totally innocent”. The Republican presidential candidate arrived in court denouncing “a witch hunt” and a political operation carried out from the White House.

“This is a very, very, sad day for America.”he said before entering the courtroom. Donald Trump castigates an empty file and denounces political persecution by increasing the invectives against judge Juan Merchan and prosecutor Alvin Bragg. Prosecutors also asked the judge to sanction him for violating the ban on attacking witnesses and jurors: this question will be debated on Tuesday.