NEW YORK – State prosecutors in New York made it clear that they believe fewer than 300 of the over 170,000 documents recently provided to former President Donald Trump’s legal team are relevant to his criminal defense. The case, which alleges falsified business records, is set to proceed to trial on April 15, as stated in a recent court filing by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office.
The vast majority of the evidence turned over by federal prosecutors originates from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen. These documents are deemed irrelevant to the allegations against Trump. Despite attempts by Trump’s defense to delay or derail the trial, the DA’s office is pushing for the proceedings to move forward without further interruptions.
Cohen is expected to be a key witness in the trial, which was initially postponed following last-minute disclosures from the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan. Trump’s lawyers have accused the DA’s office of negligence, claiming they should have obtained these records sooner. The DA’s office dismissed these claims as a distraction.
While still reviewing the materials, the DA’s office reported having reason to believe that the documents contain limited relevant information not previously disclosed to the defendant. This includes witness statements and notes from Cohen’s meetings with the Special Counsel investigating Russian interference.
The evidence is tied to Cohen’s 2018 guilty plea, which involved secret payments to women alleging affairs with Trump and lying to Congress about his business dealings with Russia. The DA’s case specifically focuses on falsified records related to a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Despite blaming Trump for the late disclosures, the DA’s office agreed to a trial delay to allow Trump’s team time to review the evidence. His lawyers have requested a 90-day extension, while the DA argues for proceedings to begin on the previously agreed-upon date of April 15. A hearing to address these matters is scheduled for Monday.