NY Judge to Trump: We're Going to Trial

Donald Trump's hopes of avoiding a criminal trial before the election were torpedoed on Thursday. A Manhattan judge ruled that the hush-money case against the former president will proceed as scheduled, with jury selection to begin on March 25, reports the AP. The decision clears the way for the first-ever prosecution of a former US president, notes the New York Times.

• The case: It involves hush-money payments Trump made to Stormy Daniels to keep her from coming forward about an alleged sexual encounter, as well as another woman, former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Prosecutors say Trump illegally categorized the money as legal expenses, but Trump calls the charges a sham and had asked Judge Juan Manuel Merchan to throw the case out.
• Big picture: The case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is the "least substantively important" of the four criminal cases against Trump, per Vox, but the other three may well be delayed until after the election. Because this one is proceeding to trial, it raises the prospect that Trump will run for reelection as a convicted felon. It also will keep Trump off the campaign trail for weeks, per Politico.

• Also Thursday: Testimony has begun in Georgia on allegations of alleged misconduct by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who has brought a sweeping election-interference case against Trump and others, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The question is whether Willis will be allowed to stay on the case given her personal relationship with Nathan Wade, an attorney she assigned to it. Her critics see a financial conflict of interest.

(More Donald Trump stories.)