Donald Trump, the ex-President, stated to the press on Thursday that he is willing to testify at his hush money trial in Manhattan if summoned, with the trial scheduled to commence next week.
“I’m testifying, I’ll tell the truth,” Trump said, according to The Epoch Times. “I always tell the truth, and the truth is they have no case.”
President Trump expressed his readiness to testify during a previous press conference, however, he also mentioned his anticipation for the trial to be postponed beyond the initially scheduled April 15 trial date. The appellate division of the New York Supreme Court rejected three consecutive requests to delay the trial pending appeals. As a result, the trial is now scheduled to proceed on Monday, as reported by the outlet.
The process of selecting the jury is planned to begin on April 15. On April 12, the defense raised objections regarding the judge’s inquiries towards potential jurors, requesting further investigation into those who may hold negative perceptions of the presumptive Republican nominee.
“Jury selection is largely luck. It depends who you get. It’s very unfair that I’m having a trial there [in Manhattan],” Trump said.
He also criticized New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, claiming political prejudice. The defense has submitted two appeals for the judge to disqualify himself from the case, however, the judge has already declined to withdraw once.
“It’s very unfair that we have this judge that hates Trump and has this tremendous conflict,” Trump said. “Nobody can believe this judge isn’t recusing himself, the conflict is at a level that nobody’s ever seen before.”
The outlet further reported:
“Typically a misdemeanor in New York, the falsifying business records charge is upgraded to a low class felony if it is done to conceal another crime, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has alleged that President Trump did so to conceal “hush money” payments to influence the 2016 election cycle. Prosecutors claim that President Trump paid his former attorney Michael Cohen, the key witness in the case, $130,000 to hide an alleged affair. Defense attorneys claim payments made to Mr. Cohen were attorney’s fees.”
“The whole thing is a disgrace and it’s a disgrace to our nation,” he said.
Trump is currently involved in three other legal proceedings, although it remains uncertain whether these cases will be resolved before the upcoming November election. In Georgia, Trump and 14 co-defendants are facing charges in a racketeering case linked to their activities during the 2020 elections. Prosecutors have suggested an August trial, which is anticipated to span at least four months. Trump’s legal team argues that holding the trial close to the presidential elections would amount to clear election interference.
Meanwhile, in Florida, Trump is confronting 40 charges related to the mishandling of classified documents, with the trial originally set for May 20. However, due to the discovery of more extensive evidence than expected, the judge hinted at potential deadline adjustments. Despite this, Trump’s co-defendants are pushing for a speedy trial. If the trial cannot proceed by May 20, there may be a need to resolve the case for them without a trial.
“In Washington, President Trump faces four counts of obstruction and conspiracy for his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, and the case is heading to the Supreme Court on appeal of a pretrial motion to dismiss the case based on presidential immunity,” The Epoch Times noted.
