Trump leaves Trump Tower on way to blockbuster hearing in Stormy Daniels hush money case: Ex-president faces two major court battles as George judge also considers disqualifying Fani Willis
- Former President Donald Trump will appear in court in Manhattan on Thursday
- His lawyers will argue for Stormy Daniels’ hush-money case to be dismissed — or at least postponed until after the election
- Meanwhile, Trump and co-defendants try to disqualify Fulton DA Fani Willis from the racketeering case after her affair with a prosecutor was exposed.
Donald Trump stepped out of his Manhattan tower Thursday morning as he prepared to appear in court again in New York in his bid to get the judge to dismiss Stormy Daniels’ hush money case.
And in Georgia, Trump and his co-defendants will move Thursday to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from presiding over her racketeering trial following the emergence of her affair with one of the prosecutors in the case.
Both are part of the former president’s tactic to delay the four concurrent criminal trials against him, which include 91 felony charges, until after Election Day, at which point he could then theoretically pardon himself as president.
The former president’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, was pictured arriving at Trump Tower in Manhattan on Thursday morning before his client left his New York City home to go to court on the other side of the city.
Former President Donald Trump waves as he leaves his Manhattan Trump Tower to appear in court Thursday as his lawyers try to get the Stormy Daniels hush money payment case thrown out — or at least postponed until after the election
Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche arrives at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York, on Thursday as the former president prepares for court in the Stormy Daniels hush money case
Judge Juan Merchan will hear Thursday from Blanche and fellow Trump lawyer Susan Necheles, who are pleading with him to dismiss the hush money case altogether. They allege that New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg targeted Trump for political reasons.
If the effort to dismiss the case entirely is unsuccessful, Trump’s legal team will seek to delay the trial — just as they have done in all four criminal cases he faces.
The tentative trial date for Trump’s hush money case has been set for March 25. But his team wants to shift that to after the November elections.
In March 2023, a grand jury in New York voted to indict Trump on more than thirty counts related to corporate fraud, including the payments to Daniels, whose real name is Karen McDougal, to keep their extramarital affair secret ahead of the election. 2016.
But this case may have the least impact in terms of political fallout and possible prison sentences.
Thursday’s ruling, however, will provide more insight into whether Trump will cruise to the Republican presidential nomination this spring or be derailed by a series of criminal trials during his campaign season.
Trump raises a fist as he acknowledges cameras and reporters as he leaves Trump Tower in New York City on Thursday en route to a pre-trial hearing at Manhattan Criminal Court in the case in which he was charged with 34 counts of falsifying corporate records
Prosecutors claim Trump’s 2016 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels (pictured with Trump) was an illegal campaign donation, allowing them to file misdemeanor charges instead of just a misdemeanor
Trump’s lawyers argue that New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg (pictured) attacked Trump for political reasons and that the hush money case should not include felony charges
Trump will appear in court in Manhattan along with Blanche and Necheles as they question whether prosecutors can call the hush money payment an illegal campaign donation. This argument is what prosecutors are using to make their case against Trump for falsifying corporate records a misdemeanor rather than just a misdemeanor.
The former president also faces lawsuits seeking to overturn the 2020 election results and mishandle classified documents after leaving office.
On Thursday, Trump and his co-defendants in Georgia are trying to disqualify DA Willis from leading her election interference racketeering case.
The efforts come after news emerged of Willis’ affair with one of the accusers in the case.
If Willis’ ouster is successful, the criminal trial in Georgia over Trump’s efforts to undermine the 2020 election could be delayed for months as new prosecutors catch up on the case.
Meanwhile, Trump and co-defendants are trying to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (pictured) from leading her racketeering trial after her affair with one of the prosecutors in the case came to light.
It is possible that a new team of prosecutors will move to amend the charges against Trump and his allies.
Judge Scott McAfee will hear from both sides in the Georgia case on Thursday, after already rejecting prosecutors’ request to cancel the hearing.
The co-defendants in the Georgia case allege that Willis and fellow plaintiff Nathan Wade have a conflict of interest in the case because they benefited financially from their reported scheme.
It is not clear whether Willis will testify on Thursday, while Trump will appear in court in Manhattan the same day.
Michael Cohen’s attorney provided an image of copies of two checks the former president’s longtime fixer received that he claims Trump wrote from his personal bank account after he became president to reimburse him for payments to Daniels over her silence