Donald Trump pleads not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records

Former US president Donald Trump has been formally arrested and charged in a court in New York on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

Mr Trump, who is the front-runner to secure the Republican Party nomination for the 2024 presidential election, pleaded not guilty to the charges made against him.

Mr Trump’s lawyers on Tuesday hit out at the nature of the case being brought against the former president.

“We’re going to fight it, fight it hard,” they said.

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They maintained the prosecution was unjustified and argued that he was only prosecuted because his name was Donald Trump.

Mr Trump’s lawyers claimed the prosecution did not allege that any federal crime or state crime had been violated. The charges relate to a lower class of felony.

Prosecutors alleged Mr Trump was part of an unlawful plan to suppress negative information, including an illegal payment of $130,000 that was ordered by the defendant to suppress information that would hurt his campaign.

The indictment alleges the reason he committed the crime of falsifying business records was in part to “promote his candidacy”.

“From August 2015 to December 2017, the defendant orchestrated a scheme with others to influence the 2016 presidential election by identifying and purchasing negative information about him to suppress its publication and benefit the defendant’s electoral prospects.

“In order to execute the unlawful scheme, the participants violated election laws and made and caused false entries in the business records of various entities in New York. The participants also took steps that mischaracterised, for tax purposes, the true nature of the payments made in furtherance of the scheme.”

At the arraignment hearing, the prosecution also raised concerns with the judge about comments made by Mr Trump on social media.

Amid extraordinary scenes in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday, Mr Trump surrendered to the office of the district attorney at around lunchtime.

The former president was finger printed and subsequently brought before a judge.

An angry-looking Mr Trump did not speak to reporters as he walked into the courtroom for his arraignment.

Judge Juan Merchan warned the former president to refrain from rhetoric that could inflame or cause civil unrest.

Judge Merchan also warned Mr Trump that he could be removed from the courtroom if he was disruptive, but Mr Trump spoke only a few times to respond to questions.

The charges against Mr Trump are all known technically as class E felonies, which are the lowest category of felony offence in New York and carry a maximum prison sentence of four years per count.

Mr Trump was indicted by a grand jury in New York last week.

This followed an investigation by the district attorney into a $130,000 payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels, allegedly to buy her silence over an affair.

Mr Trump has repeatedly denied that he ever had a relationship with Ms Daniels.

He has argued consistently that the investigation was politically motivated and represented a “witch hunt”.

Mr Trump’s allies have argued that the prosecution has been brought to hinder his bid for re-election to the White House.

Hundreds of supporters of Mr Trump held a rally in a small park across from the courtroom.

There were also opponents of Mr Trump who called for him to face justice.

Hundreds of reporters and camera crews camped outside the hearing and at one point there were three helicopters hovering over the courtroom in Lower Manhattan.

Earlier on Tuesday, before arriving at the courthouse, Mr Trump suggested on his social media platform that any criminal trial should be switched from Manhattan to Staten Island.

He appeared to suggest that he would not receive a fair trial in Manhattan given that politically it mainly voted Democrat.

Staten Island is considered to be more favourable Republican territory.