A hush-money payment was “election fraud, pure and simple”, the prosecution alleges in Donald Trump’s historic New York trial.
But the former president’s lawyer says his client did not commit any crimes, adding “he is cloaked in innocence”.
Trump is accused of trying to cover up a $130,000 (£104,500) payment to porn star Stormy Daniels before he won the 2016 election.
He has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records and also denies having an alleged sexual encounter with Daniels.
In opening statements, the lead prosecutor urged the jury to avoid sideshows. “Tune out the noise, focus on the facts,” he says.
The defence argues that Trump had no personal involvement in the payments – and that it’s not illegal to try to influence an election anyway.
David Pecker, former publisher of the National Enquirer who bought and buried damaging stories about Trump is the first witness for the prosecution.
