Opening statements begin in Trump trial over alleged hush money

Former President Donald Trump spent Monday morning in a Manhattan courtroom to hear opening statements of his criminal trial — the first of his pending criminal cases to go to trial. On Friday, the court finalized the 12 jurors who would render a decision on the case, as well as their six alternates in case one of them is dismissed. The court selected the jurors after they answered a slew of questions about their media consumption, their affiliations with various groups, and their prior knowledge of Trump and other individuals associated with the case.

What are prosecutors charging him with? Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s indictment against Trump features 34 business fraud charges. Bragg’s office alleges that Trump falsified business records to hide payments he made to a woman with whom he allegedly had an extramarital affair. The alleged payments were intended to keep her quiet about the supposed affair, according to the prosecution.

What does Trump have to say? Trump has pleaded not guilty. He posted on social media early Monday morning that he was facing criminal charges for referring to payments to his lawyer as “legal expenses” in his ledger. “What other term would be more appropriate?” he asked. Previously, he shared on social media a photo seeming to show a signed statement of the woman in question denying that she had an affair with Trump.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read Carolina Lumetta and Leo Briceno’s report about Bragg’s indictment of Trump.