Trump's New York hush money trial will start March 25

The judge in the hush money case against Donald Trump has rejected the former president's attempt to dismiss the charges, and a jury trial will begin as originally scheduled on March 25.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg brought forth a 34-count felony indictment against Trump last year, alleging he falsified New York business records in order to conceal damaging information before the 2016 presidential election. That included hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who was threatening to go public with charges that she had had an affair with Trump not long after he married Melania Trump. Trump has denied the affair.

With this case, Trump became the first former president in U.S. history to be criminally indicted.

Trump pleaded not guilty and has called the investigation and charges, without evidence, a politically motivated "witch hunt."

The trial is expected to last several weeks, so Trump, the GOP presidential front-runner in the 2024 election, may not be able to be on the campaign trail as often as he would like as the general election kicks into full steam.

This story will be updated. [Copyright 2024 NPR]