Trump’s hush money trial begins in New York

Donald Trump goes to court Monday as the first US ex-president ever to be criminally prosecuted, a seismic moment for the United States as the presumptive Republican nominee campaigns to re-take the White House.The scandal-plagued 77-year-old is accused of falsifying business records in a scheme to cover up an alleged sexual encounter with adult film actress Stormy Daniels to shield his 2016 election campaign from adverse publicity.

The so-called hush money affair is only one of four criminal cases hanging over Trump and some legal observers suggest it is the least serious.

But the real prospect of Trump becoming a convicted felon — and potentially facing jail time — throws an unprecedented wild card into an already unpredictable election.