Trump's Hush Money Trial Will Start April 15, Judge Rules

Former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial is scheduled to start on April 15, a New York judge decided on Monday.

For Context: In April 2023, a New York grand jury voted to indict Trump on 34 felony counts of business fraud related to alleged hush money payments made shortly before the 2016 election. Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges of “falsifying business records in the first degree” and aiming to “defraud and intent to commit another crime and aid and conceal the commission thereof.”

Details: Trump’s legal team attempted to either have the case dismissed or have the trial delayed, arguing that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s team violated court rules during the document discovery stage of the trial, stating Bragg’s actions were “deeply unethical and require sanctions.” The judge rejected this argument and set a trial date.

Key Quotes: Outside the courtroom, Trump told reporters, “This is a case that could have been brought three and a half years ago. And now they’re fighting over days because they want to try and do it during the election. This is election interference. That’s all it is. Election interference and it’s a disgrace.”

How the Media Covered It: Outlets across the spectrum reported the trial date announcement prominently. The Hill (Center bias) reported that Trump “seethed” and “fumed” over his “legal troubles.” The Associated Press (Lean Left bias) noted that this is the only one of Trump’s legal cases likely to reach trial before the general election.