Trump trial on hush-money charges to start at end of March

A New York City judge on Thursday ruled that jury selection for the trial would begin on March 25. The trial will center on criminal charges that former President Donald Trump falsified business records. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg alleged in an April 2023 indictment that, while running for president in 2016, Trump used fraudulent business records to hide hush-money payments made to bury stories about an inappropriate relationship that took place a decade before. He has denied doing anything wrong. 

Will the trial interfere with the presidential campaign? Lawyers for former President Trump argued that a March trial date would interfere with his ability to campaign effectively for reelection as president in 2024. Trump attended Thursday’s hearing voluntarily.

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta and Leo Briceno’s report in The Stew about Bragg’s prosecution against Trump.