Judge Juan Merchan denied motions for former President Donald Trump to dismiss the criminal case against him in New York City. Merchan said that the trial for allegedly falsifying business records to make hush money payments to two women during his 2016 presidential campaign will begin on April 15.
After the hearing, Trump said the pending trial was a "pure case of voter intimidation and election interference."
"This was a case that could have been brought three-and-a-half years ago and they decided to wait now, just during the election, so that I won't be able to campaign," Trump told the media.
The hush money case will be the first of four criminal cases to go to trial and could be the only one that wrapped up by the November election, in which Trump will face off against President Joe Biden in a rematch of the 2020 election.
Trump was also indicted on federal charges of election interference and withholding classified documents after leaving office. In addition, he is facing charges of election interference in Georgia.