Trump trial live: Judge warns the former president risks jail over gag order violations

Adult film star Stormy Daniels alleges that she had sex with Donald Trump in 2006 – something he denies – and that she was paid money to stay quiet about it in the lead-up to the 2016 election, which Trump won.

But this case isn’t about Daniels or even the act of paying hush-money, really. The trial centres on a reimbursement Trump made to his former personal lawyer and “fixer”, Michael Cohen.

Cohen claims he was directed to pay Daniels $130,000 (£104,000) in exchange for her silence about her alleged affair with Trump. Prosecutors have described this as an attempt to “unlawfully influence” the 2016 election.

Hush money payments are not illegal. But the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office alleges that Trump committed a crime by improperly recording the money with which he reimbursed Cohen as legal expenses.

In total, he is accused of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.

Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2024 election, is legally required to be in court.

He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges, arguing the allegations he faces are not criminal.