By — Kenichi Serino Kenichi Serino Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-manhattan-da-alvin-bragg-holds-press-conference-following-trump-arraignment Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter WATCH: Manhattan DA Bragg says Trump’s actions are felony crimes ‘no matter who you are’ Politics Updated on Apr 4, 2023 9:43 PM EDT — Published on Apr 4, 2023 10:05 AM EDT Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Tuesday shed more light on the 34 felony counts facing former President Donald Trump, shortly after Trump was arraigned in a New York courtroom. Watch Bragg’s remarks in the player above. “Under New York state law, it is a felony to falsify business records with intent to defraud and intent to conceal another crime. That is exactly what this case is about: 34 false statements, made to cover up other crimes,” Bragg told reporters in a news conference. “These are felony crimes in New York state, no matter who you are. We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct,” he said. READ MORE: Read all of the charges against Trump in the New York hush-money case The indictment documents contain new details about payoffs that prosecutors say were aimed at squashing potentially negative information about then-presidential candidate Trump during the 2016 election. Bragg’s remarks followed Trump’s brief appearance in court, where he pleaded “not guilty” to all charges. Trump has previously denied any wrongdoing in the case. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Email Address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. Bragg said the “catch-and-kill” scheme involved Trump, his former lawyer Michael Cohen and executives at American Media, Inc. starting in 2015. It allegedly involved AMI — the publisher of the National Enquirer — paying for exclusive rights to news stories that would be damaging to Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign but never publishing them. “As part of the scheme, Donald Trump and others made three payments to people who claimed to have negative information about Mr. Trump. To make these payments, they set up shell companies. And they made yet more false statements, including, for example, in AMI business records,” he said. READ MORE: Who is Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney overseeing case against Trump? Bragg said that the scheme to suppress negative information about Trump and the falsified business records made to cover it up — including classifying reimbursements to Cohen for illegal hush-money payments as payments for legal services — violated New York laws. The allegations against Trump had been known to New York prosecutors and law enforcement prior to Bragg taking office. However, Bragg said a decision to move forward on the indictment only took place after new evidence and witnesses became available to his office. The arraignment, though largely procedural in nature, amounts to a remarkable reckoning for Trump after years of investigations into his personal, business and political dealings. The case is unfolding against the backdrop of his third campaign for the White House as well as other investigations in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta that could produce additional charges. The next court date in the New York case is set for Dec. 4, though it is not clear if Trump will be required to appear in person. By — Kenichi Serino Kenichi Serino
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Tuesday shed more light on the 34 felony counts facing former President Donald Trump, shortly after Trump was arraigned in a New York courtroom. Watch Bragg’s remarks in the player above. “Under New York state law, it is a felony to falsify business records with intent to defraud and intent to conceal another crime. That is exactly what this case is about: 34 false statements, made to cover up other crimes,” Bragg told reporters in a news conference. “These are felony crimes in New York state, no matter who you are. We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct,” he said. READ MORE: Read all of the charges against Trump in the New York hush-money case The indictment documents contain new details about payoffs that prosecutors say were aimed at squashing potentially negative information about then-presidential candidate Trump during the 2016 election. Bragg’s remarks followed Trump’s brief appearance in court, where he pleaded “not guilty” to all charges. Trump has previously denied any wrongdoing in the case. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Email Address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. Bragg said the “catch-and-kill” scheme involved Trump, his former lawyer Michael Cohen and executives at American Media, Inc. starting in 2015. It allegedly involved AMI — the publisher of the National Enquirer — paying for exclusive rights to news stories that would be damaging to Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign but never publishing them. “As part of the scheme, Donald Trump and others made three payments to people who claimed to have negative information about Mr. Trump. To make these payments, they set up shell companies. And they made yet more false statements, including, for example, in AMI business records,” he said. READ MORE: Who is Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney overseeing case against Trump? Bragg said that the scheme to suppress negative information about Trump and the falsified business records made to cover it up — including classifying reimbursements to Cohen for illegal hush-money payments as payments for legal services — violated New York laws. The allegations against Trump had been known to New York prosecutors and law enforcement prior to Bragg taking office. However, Bragg said a decision to move forward on the indictment only took place after new evidence and witnesses became available to his office. The arraignment, though largely procedural in nature, amounts to a remarkable reckoning for Trump after years of investigations into his personal, business and political dealings. The case is unfolding against the backdrop of his third campaign for the White House as well as other investigations in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta that could produce additional charges. The next court date in the New York case is set for Dec. 4, though it is not clear if Trump will be required to appear in person.