Explainer: Former US President Donald Trump's Hush Money Trial

What Is Hush Money?

"Hush money" refers to payments made to individuals in exchange for their silence or confidentiality regarding certain information or actions. The term is commonly used to describe payments made to prevent someone from disclosing potentially damaging or embarrassing information, often related to personal or professional matters.

What Are The Allegations Against Trump?

Trump is accused of orchestrating payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels (Stephanie Clifford) and Playboy model Karen McDougal to buy their silence about their alleged affairs with him. These payments, totalling hundreds of thousands of dollars, were made through Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen and American Media Inc. (AMI), the parent company of the National Enquirer.

Prosecutors allege that the hush money payments constituted illegal campaign contributions because they were made with the intent of influencing the outcome of the 2016 election. Cohen pleaded guilty to two campaign finance charges related to these payments, asserting that he acted at Trump's direction.

Trump is accused of falsifying business records to conceal the nature and purpose of the payments made to Daniels and McDougal. This includes allegedly mischaracterizing the payments in financial documents and failing to disclose them as campaign expenditures.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has framed the case as one of election interference, arguing that the payments were part of a broader effort to conceal damaging information from voters ahead of the 2016 election.

Is It Illegal?

The hush money payments made to Daniels and McDougal are considered illegal by prosecutors. While paying individuals to keep quiet about personal matters is not inherently illegal, the context and timing of these payments raise legal concerns.

The payments made to Daniels and McDougal were allegedly orchestrated with the intent to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Prosecutors argue that these payments constituted illegal campaign contributions because they were made to suppress potentially damaging information that could have harmed Trump's chances of winning the election.

Furthermore, the manner in which the payments were made and concealed also violated campaign finance laws.

What Law Is Trump Accused of Breaking?

Trump is accused of breaking several laws concerning the hush money scheme. The specific law he is accused of violating is related to falsifying business records in New York.

District Attorney Bragg announced Trump's indictment by a grand jury, charging him with 34 counts of falsifying business records, which is a Class E felony under New York law.

The falsification of business records is considered a serious offence in New York, and if found guilty, Trump could face significant penalties, including probation or a maximum sentence of up to four years in state prison on each count.

Will Trump Be Eligible to Run for Office Again?

If Trump is convicted of the charges against him in the hush money scheme trial, it could potentially impact his ability to contest elections in the future, but it would not automatically disqualify him from running for office again.

Under the United States Constitution, there are only three requirements for someone to be eligible to run for the office of President:

1. 1.The candidate must be a natural-born citizen of the United States or a citizen at the time of the adoption of the Constitution.
2. 2.The candidate must be at least thirty-five years old.
3. 3.The candidate must have been a resident of the United States for at least fourteen years.

A criminal conviction, even a felony conviction, does not directly affect these eligibility criteria. Therefore, legally speaking, a conviction in the hush money case would not automatically disqualify Trump from running for the position of the President again.