Trump charged with 34 felony counts in alleged hush money coverup case

WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 34 felony counts of falsification of business records, charges stemming from the alleged cover-up of a hush money payment made in the days before the 2016 election. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg told reporters in a news conference after Trump’s arraignment that the indictment centers on “34 false statements made to cover up other crimes.” “These are felony crimes in New York state, no matter who you are. We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct,” he said. Trump became the first former U.S. president to face criminal…