Trump trial: hush money was ‘election fraud pure and simple’, prosecutors say

Ex-president orchestrated a criminal scheme' to corrupt 2016 election, prosecution says in opening statement

• Key takeaways from opening statements

Donald Trump orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election" in his efforts to cover up an alleged affair with the adult film star Stormy Daniels, the prosecution said on Monday in its opening statement in the former president's criminal trial, with the defense countering that there's nothing wrong with trying to influence an election - it's called democracy".

After opening statements from both sides, the historic trial also briefly heard from its first witness, David Pecker, former publisher of the National Enquirer and a man at the heart of Trump's alleged crimes.