Opening statements in Donald Trump's hush-money trial began Monday. A prosecutor said the case is about a "criminal conspiracy and a coverup."
  • Opening statements began in Donald Trump’s hush-money trial on Monday.
  • Trump faces 34 felony counts for falsifying business records in the historic case.
  • “This case is about a criminal conspiracy and a coverup,” ADA Matthew Colangelo said.

Opening arguments in Donald Trump’s historic criminal trial got underway on Monday with a prosecutor describing the case as being about a “criminal conspiracy,” while a defense attorney for the former president likened hush-money payments to “democracy.”

“This case is about a criminal conspiracy and a coverup,” Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo told the 12-person Manhattan jury in the hush-money trial.

Prosecutors in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office allege Trump illegally falsified business records by covering up a $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

  • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
    911·
    8 months ago

    Can we kill this whole concept that money is fucking speech? Shit like this is part of the reason why citizens united is a fucking train wreck.

    • reddig33@lemmy.world
      36·
      8 months ago

      Wouldn’t it be nice if you could pay your bills by just blabbing on the phone to your landlord for an hour? Money is speech after all.

    • givesomefucks@lemmy.worldEnglish
      615·
      8 months ago

      Good luck.

      Biden and the DNC changed their rules so a Billionaire doesn’t even have to use a PAC for insane contributions.

      It’s the only way he can fund his expensive campaigns (2020 was over a billion) because he can’t attract small donors like actually popular candidates.

      However, during a primary, the value of big donors and high-dollar bundlers is greatly reduced by federal contribution limits — it was why Biden consistently struggled, and it was why Bernie Sanders’ grassroots dollars made him such a prolific fundraiser. Biden, along with every other candidate, was limited to receiving a maximum of $5,600 from an individual or $11,200 from a couple.

      That changed in mid-May, after Biden secured enough delegates to become the presumptive nominee. This status allowed the Biden campaign to create a joint fundraising agreement with the Democratic National Committee and various other committees and state parties. After inking this contract with the DNC and 26 state Democratic Party organizations, “The Biden Victory Fund” took the $5,600 contribution cap and expanded it more than 100-fold — the new committee can now accept up to $620,600 per person. Every dollar after the initial $5,600 that is given to the campaign is then shared with the DNC and various organizations that are all organizing in support of Biden’s candidacy.

      https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2020/07/10/what_youre_not_being_told_about_bidens_fundraising_143678.html

      If you think getting money out of politics is important, you need to fight Republicans and “moderates” like Biden.