On Monday at 9:30 a.m., the opening arguments in the hush-money case against former President Donald Trump will commence, marking the first ever criminal trial held against a former president. The trial is just one of four criminal cases facing Trump that will be heard in court. Prosecutors allege that Trump manipulated his financial records to conceal a $130,000 payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels in order to cover up an alleged affair. While Trump denies these allegations and claims that the affair never took place, he is expected to face serious consequences if found guilty.
Meanwhile, Judge Arthur Engoron will preside over arguments regarding Trump’s bond in his civil fraud trial at 10 a.m. on Monday. New York Attorney General Letitia James has requested that the judge reject the $175 million bond posted by Knight Specialty Insurance Company, stating in a memo filed on Friday that the bond should be declared “without effect.” James argues that the company lacks the necessary trustworthiness and competence required for insurers conducting this type of business. She also points out that the insurance group is not licensed to conduct new business in New York and has never previously written a surety bond in the state.
The issue of the bond has been a hotly contested topic, as Trump’s legal team initially argued that he could not afford the original $454 million judgment. Following an appeal, the court decreased the amount owed to $175 million, which Trump posted on April 1st. However, it remains unclear where Trump will appear for his court date on Monday due to increased traffic on Centre Street in Manhattan prompting officials to beef up security in the area.
Representatives for both parties have yet to comment on these developments publicly, but they are expected to make statements after Judge Engoron makes his ruling on whether or not to approve Knight Specialty Insurance Company’s bond request for Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial.
