Donald Trump’s criminal trial related to hush-money payments made to two women ahead of his 2016 election win is set to begin in March 2024, according to a newly revealed scheduling order in a federal court in New York.
The scheduling order, filed in the New York Southern District Court by Judge Lorna G. Schofield, reveals that the trial was scheduled to begin on March 21, 2024. The trial date was set under the condition that the proceedings are not resolved by plea deal or other means beforehand.
The prosecutors, led by Acting US Attorney Audrey Strauss, have argued that Trump directed his former lawyer Michael Cohen to make the payments to silence stories about the president’s alleged extramarital affairs. Trump has denied the accusations and claims that Cohen acted on his own.
Trump was formally charged in April 2021 with two counts of violating campaign finance laws as part of the criminal probe. It is unclear if the trial will take place before or after the 2024 presidential election.