SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – Following Tuesday's arraignment, the indictment of Former President Donald Trump has been unsealed and released to the public.
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Trump was charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records at a New York courthouse Tuesday afternoon, becoming the first U.S. president to plead to criminal charges. The case surrounds Trump's alleged role in a hush money scheme to avoid allowing negative stories into the media during the 2017 presidential campaign.
The statement of facts was also released alongside the indictment, further detailing Trump's alleged crimes. For a closer look, Brett Burkhart, Patti Reising and Doug Sovern spoke with Rory Little, Professor at UC College of the Law San Francisco and former federal prosecutor.
"The statement of facts seems to suggest there was more than just covering up Stormy Daniels, that there were at least a couple of other unfavorable information stories that were being covered up," Little said. "It looks like he's charging violations of both federal election law and state election law, as well as some tax violations. So there's a lot that's in these two documents — the indictment and the statement of facts."
Little said the first thing Trump's lawyers will do is to ask for a more detailed presentation of the facts.
Little told KCBS Radio that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has more than just Stormy Daniels as evidence. "He's showing a clear pattern of payoffs to conceal unfavorable information during an election and then falsely enter it on the books of the corporation," he said.
Trump stood before Judge Juan Merchan on Tuesday where he pleaded not guilty to the 34 counts. Merchan has warned the former president to refrain from rhetoric that could inflame or cause civil unrest, as New York was fearful of a reaction similar to January 6.
If convicted on all 34 counts, Trump faces a 136-year prison sentence.
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