NEW YORK — Manhattan prosecutors are concocting a crime out of “34 pieces of paper” that former President Donald Trump signed to pay his personal lawyer many years ago, a defense attorney told jurors Monday.
Prosecutors allege Mr. Trump funneled payments to his lawyer, Michael Cohen, throughout 2017 to conceal hush money that had been paid around the 2016 election — and then misled banks and others on business records.
Yet defense lawyer Todd Blanche said Mr. Trump had nothing to do with the invoices, the checks and ledger entries that were filled out while Mr. Trump was trying to run the country as president in 2017.
“President Trump is innocent. President Trump did not commit any crimes. The Manhattan district attorney’s office should never have brought this case,” Mr. Blanche told jurors. “You will find that he is not guilty.”
Mr. Trump turned his body toward his lawyer and the jury of seven men and five women, watching intently during opening arguments in a heavily guarded courtroom.
The former president faces 34 counts of falsifying business records in the case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat.
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Prosecutors said the records were falsified to disguise payments to porn star Stormy Daniels and two others.
Mr. Blanche said there was a distinct firewall between Mr. Trump and the hush money scheme outlined to the jury moments earlier by the state, and that prosecutors are creating crimes out of ordinary practices.
“Mr. Trump is not on the hook,” Mr. Blanche said.
Mr. Blanche said Mr. Trump had “communications” with Ms. Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, nearly two decades ago tied to his hit television show, “The Apprentice,” but the arrangements never worked out. Ms. Daniels alleged a sexual encounter with Mr. Trump, which the former president denied.
More broadly, Mr. Blanche said nondisclosure agreements are commonplace and legal. He also said there is nothing wrong with people around Mr. Trump trying to influence the election by hiding damaging election.
“It puts something sinister on this idea as if it’s a crime,” Mr. Blanche said.
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Prosecutors objected to some of the verbiage Mr. Blanche used around nondisclosure agreements, prompting a brief meeting at the bench with the judge.
Mr. Blanche signaled the defense would try to eviscerate Mr. Cohen‘s credibility, saying he is a criminal who lied to banks about business and taxi medallions — among other things — and was angry he didn’t get a job in the Trump administration.
Mr. Cohen blamed Mr. Trump for “all of his problems” and is a convicted perjurer, Mr. Blanche said.
“Mr. Cohen, on a public forum, said he had a mental excitement about this trial,” Mr. Blanche said. “That was last night, but he’s said similar things multiple times a week.”
Mr. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges and says Democratic prosecutors are trying to stop his presidential campaign.
Mr. Blanche leaned on the jury’s emotions, saying Mr. Trump may seem “larger than life” but is just like anyone else in the room and fighting to clear his name.
“He’s a man, he’s a husband, he’s a father, he’s a person, just like you and just like me,” Mr. Blanche said.
Mr. Blanche also reminded jurors that he will refer to Mr. Trump as “President Trump.”
“This is a title he has earned because he was our 45th president,” he said.