In the midst of the election campaign, the historic “porn trial” against Donald Trump began in New York

The criminal trial against Donald Trump, the first former president in the history of the United States to end up in the dock, It all started this Monday in a New York courthouse, in the midst of the 2024 presidential campaign.

The investigating judge Juan M. Merchan, of Colombian origin, opened the trial and, once again, rejected the 77-year-old tycoon’s request to recuse himself from the case.

For the Republican, almost certainly his party’s candidate in the presidential elections in November, the process It’s “political persecution” orchestrated by Democrats to prevent him from realizing his long-awaited dream of returning to the White House.

“This is an attack on the United States. Nothing like this has ever happened”the Republican said as he arrived in court where he will be tried for hiding a $130,000 payment to former porn actress Stormy Daniels to buy her silence about an alleged extramarital affair and thus protect his 2016 campaign, which he finally won against Democrat Hillary Clinton.

The billionaire is not accused of the payment itself to hide a sexual relationship that he has always denied, but of having disguised it as legal costs for the Trump Organization, the family business, which could lead to a prison sentence up to four years in prison.

However, the sentence It would not be an obstacle for him to run in the presidential elections on November 5in which he will face Democrat Joe Biden for the second time, who defeated him in the elections four years ago.

He could even become president even if it would be an unprecedented situation.

The case

After a debate between the judge and the prosecution about what evidence to include, the trial had to proceed with the selection of the twelve jurors and six alternates who will be responsible for unanimously declaring the tycoon “guilty” or “not guilty,” a process that can take several days.

The candidates for the lottery will have to answer a detailed questionnaire on their political sympathies in a city with a democratic majority and, above all, on their impartiality and ability to define the fate of one of the most influential politicians of recent times, both in the United States like in the world.

The millionaire is accused of 34 forgery of documents accountants of the Trump Organization to disguise as “legal expenses” the payments made to Stormy Daniels, advanced out of his own pocket by Trump’s then lawyer and right-hand man, Michael Cohen, currently a sworn enemy and who will be one of the key witnesses for the prosecution.

The trial will have to demonstrate what Trump knew about these payments, for which Cohen has already been convicted.

This is one of the tycoon’s many open fronts New Yorker who amassed fortune in real estate and golf course construction who claims he is the victim of “a witch hunt.”

It will likely be the only trial to be held before the November elections.

The Republican candidate is also under accusation try to reverse the results of the 2020 presidential election and his handling of classified documents he brought home when he left the White House.

“The stakes are high, because Trump and his lawyers have so far managed to delay the (other) trials,” Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond, told AFP.

But far from impacting his brilliant presidential career, Every problem with the law seems to strengthen his popularity among his followers.

On Saturday evening, during a rally in Pennsylvania, Trump once again declared himself the victim of judicial and political persecution by Democrats.

“Our enemies they want to take away my freedom because I will never let them take yours away,” she told her followers.

Trump plans to testify at the trial, which could last six to eight weeks.

On high alert, a handful of followers and detractors of the tycoon They demonstrated outside the Manhattan courthouse in southern New York, isolated by the police.

Unlike other states, cameras in New York courts are not allowed, so only the written press will report on the development of this trial, which arouses great interest.