In Trumps New York hush money case, prosecutors push election angle | Donald Trump News [Video]

It is a blockbuster legal case, set to dominate headlines for weeks to come.

On Monday, Donald Trump has become the first United States president, past or present, to stand trial in a criminal case. Jury selection is under way this week.

The trial unfolding in New York centres on sensational allegations: that Trump made hush-money payments to an adult film star, Stormy Daniels, with whom he allegedly had an affair. He has been charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

But despite the tabloid-worthy details, legal experts say something more fundamental is at the heart of the trial: how American elections unfold — and how candidates should be held to account.

The hush-money payments allegedly happened against the backdrop of the 2016 presidential race, and prosecutors are expected to focus on whether efforts to conceal information could have influenced Trump’s victory in that election.

The more sordid details have nevertheless dominated public perception of the case, said Shanlon Wu, a former federal prosecutor …