Stormy Daniels, the adult film star, stated on an edition of her podcast released on Sunday that she plans to testify in former President Donald Trump’s upcoming trial in New York on state criminal charges.
The March 25 trial is being held in response to charges that Trump agreed in 2016 to a conspiracy to falsify paperwork while reimbursing his former lawyer for a “hush money” payment to Daniels, whose actual name is Stephanie Clifford.
“Obviously, things have been next-level crazy, since I am set to testify in, at this point in time, March — obviously, that can change any moment — in the hush money case,” he stated.
A representative for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is in charge of the investigation, declined to comment.
On March 30, 2023, a Manhattan grand jury indicted Trump on 34 charges of felony falsification of corporate documents, making him the first former president ever charged with a crime. It was the first of four criminal proceedings filed against him in the following months, on charges ranging from retaining national security secrets to attempting to sabotage the results of the 2020 election after his defeat.
Trump’s attorneys did not respond to a request for comment, nor did a representative representing Daniels.
In all four cases, Trump has filed not-guilty pleas and denied the claims against him on 91 counts. Prosecutors, he claims, are charging him for political reasons.
Daniels met with Manhattan prosecutors by video on March 15, last year, and has previously stated that she would be willing to testify in the trial.
Daniels received $130,000 as part of an arrangement to keep her from publicly addressing her claim that she had an adulterous affair with Trump years before the 2016 presidential election. Trump refuted her allegations.
The charges against Trump stemmed from a series of reimbursements made to his former attorney and “fixer” Michael Cohen through a limited liability organization for the Daniels payment. Trump has stated that the payments were legal and not disguised in any way.
The next hearing on the matter is set for February 15.