(FixThisNation.com) – On Tuesday, the charges against former President Donald Trump suggest that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) is aiming to pursue the case largely based on campaign laws.
However, in case those charges do not stick, Bragg has also added to the charging documents and public statements references to tax law violations as well. This is a sign that New York prosecutors may be hoping to bring a larger case against Trump.
During his arraignment on Tuesday, there were 34 felony counts read against Trump in connection to the hush money payment arranged by Trump and made by his fixer Michael Cohen to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Daniels was paid $130,000 in exchange for her silence over her alleged affair with the former president prior to the 2016 presidential election.
The case is mainly based on falsification of business records charges, with prosecutors claiming that Trump had “orchestrated a scheme” in order to influence the 2016 presidential election by trying to block negative information about him from being made public, by paying for them.
While hush money payments are not illegal, the problem was that Trump in his reimbursement to Cohen filed the payment under legal expenses.
Under New York Law, falsifying business records is a misdemeanor, however, it could potentially be considered a felony if there was an attempt to obscure a different crime. With the current charges Bragg would need to prove that the payment was made as a way to influence the 2016 presidential election if he wants to be able to charge with anything more than a misdemeanor.
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