Prosecutors offer 30-day delay to landmark Trump hush money trial

Prosecutors has prepared to bring former President Donald Trump to trial in New York for alleged involvement in hush money payments have expressed willingness to entertain a delay of up to 30 days.

Court documents revealed that both sides were inundated with a substantial volume of case documents, prompting the consideration for an extension. Trump’s defense team had previously sought to postpone the commencement of the criminal trial, slated for March 25, marking a historic event as the first trial of a former US president.

The accusations against Trump pertain to the alleged concealment of hush money payments linked to his successful 2016 presidential campaign.

During a separate court appearance in Florida, Trump faced charges related to mishandling classified documents, contesting 34 counts of accounting fraud, including transactions associated with payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

Despite Trump’s effort to dismiss the case on grounds of “unconstitutional vagueness,” the presiding judge upheld the trial’s validity, while refraining from immediate rulings on other challenges mounted by Trump’s legal team.

The core of the hush money case revolves around allegations that Trump illicitly masked payments to his longtime associate, Michael Cohen, aimed at reimbursing him for silencing stories regarding Trump’s alleged extramarital affairs with Daniels and a Playboy model. Trump vehemently denies these charges, which led to his indictment by a New York grand jury in March 2023 specifically concerning payments made to Daniels, known by her legal name, Stephanie Clifford.

In response to the overwhelming volume of case documents, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has signaled openness to a brief adjournment of up to 30 days to facilitate sufficient review time for the defense.