Defendant-1 Charged with 34 Counts of Document Falsification to Hide 2016 Crimes

I’m starting a new post as we begin to get news from the arraignment. Among the 34 charges is a conspiracy count that will sweep in a great deal of damning evidence.

Update: Here is the indictment. That just lists the individual document fraud, check by invoice.

The statement of facts explains the underlying logic of the case.

Update: Alvin Bragg just explained the case. The argument is that in 2015 and 2016, Michael Cohen, David Pecker, Trump, and others agreed to conduct the catch-and-kill program to help Trump win. That violated three crimes, per Bragg:

• New York State laws prohibiting the promotion of a candidate by false means
• Federal campaign finance laws
• Document falsification by American Media Inc (National Enquirer)

He alleges each invoice and check were an attempt to cover up those 2016 crimes.

Bragg did say that the indictment does not need to specify what the other crimes the document falsification was intended to hide. He also noted–as NYU’s Ryan Goodman has laid out–that it is the “bread and butter” of the white collar charges NY DA charges.

Bragg claimed that his office had received additional evidence and access to additional witnesses after he took over.