Trump charged with 34 felony counts, pleads not guilty in Manhattan court

Former US President Donald Trump pleads not guilty to 34 criminal charges against him in Manhattan court

Former US President Donald Trump, on Tuesday, April 4, pleaded not guilty to 34 criminal charges against him in a Manhattan criminal court. The investigation against Trump started in the 2016 hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels to conceal an alleged affair that he has constantly denied.

Trump officially became the first former US president to face criminal charges when he was arraigned on Tuesday. Earlier, he surrendered to authorities at a court in Lower Manhattan ahead of his arraignment.

Trump, who is running for the Republican nomination for next year’s presidential race, has denied any wrongdoing and called the charges politically motivated. The judge set the next court hearing for December 4 and did not issue a gag order on any of the parties.