Donald Trump has informed the judge presiding over his upcoming criminal trial in New York City that he plans to employ a legal strategy that places blame for the alleged criminal acts on the advice provided by his attorneys.
The former president will likely argue that he cannot be held accountable for allegedly falsifying business records to hide hush money payments to an adult film star. According to him, he was following the guidance of his lawyers.
According to his attorneys, Mr. Trump will not formally rely on what is commonly known as an “advice-of-counsel” defense.
According to reports, Mr. Trump has decided not to rely on a “formal” advice-of-counsel defense. This decision means that he will not have to give up his attorney-client privilege or disclose any confidential communications or privileged materials.
Instead, the lawyers representing the former president argue that he did not have the necessary intention to commit the actions outlined in the Indictment. They claim that he was aware of the involvement of various lawyers in the conduct that led to the charges. This argument was presented to New York Judge Juan Merchan.
According to Mr. Trump’s attorneys Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles, he plans to extract these facts from witnesses at the trial. This includes his former attorney, Michael Cohen, whom they anticipate will testify about President Trump’s awareness of counsel’s involvement in the charged conduct.
Prosecutors were adamant that there is no basis for hearing Mr. Trump’s defense before the trial.
On Monday, Mr. Trump’s attorneys requested Judge Merchan to postpone the trial until the US Supreme Court determines whether the former president can assert “immunity” from prosecution in another case.
Jury selection for the criminal trial related to hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election is set to take place on March 25th.
This trial marks a significant milestone as it is the first criminal proceeding against a former president. In fact, it is the first time in history that any former president has faced such charges. Currently, the former president is involved in four criminal cases across different jurisdictions.
In a recent filing, Mr. Trump’s attorneys argued that his statements on Twitter and to news networks in 2018 regarding his former “fixer” Michael Cohen could be considered official acts covered by presidential immunity. However, the filing does not address the alleged repayment scheme that is at the heart of the case, as it occurred prior to Mr. Trump assuming the presidency.
According to Mr. Trump’s attorneys, his Twitter account served as an official communications channel during his Presidency. It was used to communicate with the public on matters of public concern.
Cohen stands accused of orchestrating payments to Ms. Daniels just days before the 2016 election in an attempt to conceal potentially damaging tales of Mr. Trump’s alleged affairs. Following his election triumph, Mr. Trump supposedly repaid Cohen, who is anticipated to testify in the forthcoming trial that Mr. Trump gave him permission to falsely categorize the payments as legitimate expenses for his business.
