Interim summary

 

29m ago

13.22 EST

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2024/feb/15/trump-ny-hush-money-georgia-trial?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with:block-65ce52e98f0867c21574d500#block-65ce52e98f0867c21574d500

Interim summary

Hello again, US politics live blog readers. It’s been a split-screen day, with hearings in two criminal cases against Donald Trump, one in New York and one in Georgia.

 

The New York hearing wrapped up and Trump is due to stand trial on March 25, an unprecedented event for a US president. The Georgia misconduct hearing involving the lead prosecutors in the election interference case there has just resumed after lunch.

 

The White House weekday media briefing has been put back to 1.45pm ET.

 

Here’s where thing stand:

 

Donald Trump spoke outside the court room in New York moments ago, after the 100-minute hearing in his hush money criminal case took place, and as well as blasting this case he accused Joe Biden’s administration, New York district attorney Letitia James and Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg of coordinating legal attacks on him.

Georgia special prosecutor Nathan Wade is on the stand in Trump’s election interference case in Atlanta, in a misconduct hearing, being asked about trips he took after he and district attorney Fani Willis became romantically involved and, crucially, how such trips were paid for.

Former Fulton county district attorney’s office employee Robin Yeartie, also previously a friend of Willis, testified that Willis’s romantic relationship with Wade began before he was hired prosecution of Trump. Such details are crucial in the determination of conflicts of interest of which the two are accused by one of the defendants in the case. Yeartie’s testimony directly contradicts Willis’s statement that her personal relationship with Wade didn’t begin until after Wade was hired as special prosecutor in the case against Trump and others.

Fulton county district attorney Fani Willis is expected to be called to the stand in court in Atlanta, in the misconduct hearing against her and special prosecutor Nathan Wade. It’s expected to be a two-day hearing.

Judge Juan Merchan informed the hush money hearing in New York that the criminal case against Trump will move forward next month. He denied Trump’s motion to dismiss the case. The trial will begin on March 25.

Donald Trump turned up at a New York court to attend a hearing in the criminal case in which he is charged in Manhattan Supreme Court with falsifying business records related to his alleged payoffs to cover up extramarital affairs in advance of the 2016 election.