5 Key Defenses Donald Trump’s Team Could Use to Fight Indictment | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR
Former President Donald Trump pleads not guilty to 34 felony charges of falsifying business records related to hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougall. Possible defenses include challenging the indictment, statute of limitations, and portraying Trump as a victim of extortion.
Key Insights
- 🖤 Donald Trump's defense may focus on challenging the indictment's lack of specification of an underlying crime, arguing the statute of limitations has expired, and presenting him as a victim of extortion.
- 😀 The prosecution's approach of using state election law in a federal election case may face criticism and legal challenges.
- 🤑 Trump's potential defense strategy includes emphasizing the role of his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, in orchestrating the hush money payments.
- 😥 The tolling of the statute of limitations, deducting time when Trump was out of New York, will likely be a point of contention.
- 🇨🇫 Trump's lawyers may argue that the payments were made to prevent public humiliation and portray Stormy Daniels's actions as extortion.
- 🤨 The absence of a signature from a foreperson on the statement of facts raises questions about its legitimacy and whether the grand jury voted on it.
- 🧑⚖️ Ultimately, the judge's decision on the indictment's validity and inclusion of the statement of facts will greatly impact the case.
Transcript
earlier this afternoon Donald Trump was arraigned on a New York Supreme Court indictment returned by a Manhattan grand jury on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree former president Donald Trump returned to his native New York and pleaded not guilty to the charges against him so how might his lawyers defend the case al... Read More
Questions & Answers
Q: What charges does Donald Trump face?
Donald Trump faces 34 felony charges of falsifying business records in the first degree, relating to hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougall.
Q: How might Trump's lawyers defend the case?
Trump's lawyers may argue that the indictment is defective for failing to specify an underlying crime and challenge the statute of limitations. They may also portray Trump as a victim of extortion by Stormy Daniels and argue that his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, was the one responsible for the illegal actions.
Q: Why are hush money payments not illegal?
Hush money payments themselves are not illegal, but prosecutors claim that the illegal actions lie in the way these payments were documented in the Trump Organization's business records.
Q: Why did the Federal Election Commission recommend not prosecuting Trump on these charges?
It may be due to a political divide within the commission, where all Republicans voted against indicting Trump and all Democrats voted in favor. Additionally, the commission may have considered these payments to be of minimal significance compared to other campaign funding issues.
Summary & Key Takeaways
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Donald Trump pleads not guilty to 34 felony charges of falsifying business records in relation to hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougall.
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Prosecutors claim that the crime lies in the way the expenditures were documented in the Trump Organization's business records.
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Possible defenses for Trump include challenging the indictment for failing to specify an underlying crime, arguing the statute of limitations has expired, and portraying Trump as a victim of extortion.
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