Trump to attend New York hush money case hearing Thursday

Former President Donald Trump will attend a hearing Thursday that is expected to determine a timetable for the trial in the New York hush money case against him, his lawyer said Tuesday.

“President Trump will be attending court in New York on Thursday,” one of Trump’s attorneys, Steve Sadow, said in a statement.

Sadow is representing Trump in the Fulton County, Georgia, election interference case and provided the statement after he was asked whether Trump would attend a key hearing Thursday in the Georgia case.

New York Judge Juan Merchan’s hearing on Thursday, where he will also address Trump’s motions to dismiss the case, will likely shape the first felony trial against the former president. Last year, the judge decided that the trial would begin on March 25, though that date seemed to be up in the air because of charges facing Trump in the federal election interference case.

In New York, Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential bid. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Thursday is also a crucial day for another one of Trump’s criminal cases. The judge in the Fulton County election interference case will be holding a hearing on the misconduct claims Trump and one of his co-defendants have made against District Attorney Fani Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade.

Judge Scott McAfee said at a hearing Monday that it’s “possible” Willis could be disqualified from prosecuting the case if he finds that Willis benefitted financially from their relationship. Willis admitted earlier this month that the two have had a personal relationship, but denied that their relationship was improper.

“District Attorney Willis has no financial conflict of interest that constitutes a legal basis for disqualification,” her office said in a filing. “District Attorney Willis has no personal conflict of interest that justifies her disqualification personally or that of the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office.”