Accusations of Trump attempting to deceive voters with election conspiracy to fund hush money scheme

Manhattan prosecutors delivered a scathing closing statement in Donald Trump’s hush money trial, accusing the former president of attempting to “hoodwink” voters and subvert democracy by suppressing damaging information during the 2016 presidential election.

According to Manhattan District Attorney Joshua Steinglass, Trump’s “catch and kill” scheme to buy up stories about his alleged sex scandals was a fraudulent attempt to manipulate and defraud voters. The scheme involved Trump, tabloid publisher David Pecker, and Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen meeting at Trump Tower in 2015 to control the flow of information and influence voters.

Steinglass painted a damning picture of Trump’s alleged fraud, tracing the timeline of events and presenting evidence of falsifying business records to corruptly influence the election. He emphasized the value of the corrupt bargain between Trump, Pecker, and Cohen, stating that it could have been what got Trump elected.

The trial focused on the $130,000 payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels to buy her silence about her alleged affair with Trump. Prosecutors presented evidence of Trump reimbursing Cohen for the payment through falsified business records, labeling the payments as “legal expenses” and a non-existent retainer.

Steinglass highlighted the importance of the case, stating that it was about cheating and the lies in Trump’s business records. He emphasized that the case was not about Cohen’s credibility but about Trump’s actions and involvement in the conspiracy.

Jurors will receive instructions from the judge and could reach a verdict as soon as Wednesday afternoon. The trial has shed light on Trump’s alleged attempts to manipulate information and deceive voters, raising questions about the integrity of the 2016 election.