Donald Trump has spoken out after pleading not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records over the alleged hush money paid to an adult film star.
The 76-year-old former president of the United States was indicted on March 30 following an investigation into a $130,000 payment he allegedly made to Stormy Daniels around the end of his 2016 presidential campaign.
The 44-year-old X-rated star alleged that the two had sexual relations in 2006 - when she was 27 and Trump was 59 - after meeting at a celebrity golf tournament at Lake Tahoe in Nevada.
Prosecutors have claimed that the hush money was sent in exchange for her silence regarding the alleged affair. While this is not illegal, the former TV personality stated the record for the payment was for legal fees when he reimbursed his lawyer Michael Cohen.
According to the prosecution in this high-profile case, Trump had falsified business records, which is a criminal act in New York - classified as a misdemeanor.
In addition to this, Yahoo reported that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg elevated the charges from misdemeanors to Class E felonies - which are the lowest level in the New York State penal code for carrying out criminal activity with the purpose of covering up another crime.
Bragg's office has stated that Trump will not be placed in handcuffs or have his mugshot taken, as that is reserved for flight risks or threats to the district attorney or court personnel.
Furthermore, a New York law enforcement official told the publication: "No one gets jail time for that as a first offender."
On Tuesday, April 4, Trump was formally hit with 34 felony counts related to business fraud - making him the first president (current or former) to ever face criminal charges in US history.
He has strongly denied claims that he had an extramarital affair with Daniels and has blasted the investigation by describing it as a "political persecution," as cited by The Mirror.
Trump has now addressed the nation from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after his historical arrest, saying: "God bless you all. I never thought anything like this could happen in America. Never thought it could happen. The only crime I have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it," via ABC News.
As reported by The Guardian, a judge will set a schedule for the next steps in the pre-trial process now that Trump has entered a plea of not guilty. The trial is not expected to start for months so after the arraignment concluded, he was released and allowed to return to Florida.
In a message posted to his platform Truth Social last week, the former POTUS slammed the judge appointed to his case, the New York State supreme court justice Juan Merchan, and vowed to appeal the ruling, per the outlet.