First modification:
On Thursday, March 30, a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump on charges related to payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence allegations of an extramarital sexual encounter. This is the first criminal case against a former president of the United States.
It is an unprecedented accusation. For the first time in US history, a former president was indicted in a criminal case. This Thursday, March 30, the New York grand jury marked the milestone by bringing Donald Trump to face criminal charges in the Stromy Daniels case.
The investigation into the alleged payments to silence the porn star during the 2016 presidential campaign – which he ended up winning – was in the hands of the Manhattan prosecutor, Alvin Bragg. And a grand jury had been listening to the main witnesses in the case for several weeks.
The specific charges are not yet known and the indictment is likely to be announced in the coming days, The New York Times reported. So, Trump You will have to travel to Manhattan for fingerprinting and other processing.
The tycoon did not take long to pronounce himself assuring that he is “completely innocent”.
In addition, one of his advisers, who confirmed the news, said in a statement: “He did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this impeachment in court.”
The accusation could truncate the former president’s plans to launch his career to the White House in 2024.
What is Trump accused of?
Trump’s accusation comes for a crime related to his payment of $130,000 to pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels, whose birth name is Stephanie Gregory, just before the 2016 elections. A transaction that would have sought to protect the image of the then presidential candidate and cover up an alleged extramarital affair.
At the center of the issue is his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who was in charge of sending Daniels’ money. In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to federal campaign finance violations and admitted that he helped arrange the transaction.
As highlighted ‘The New York Times‘ (NYT)― citing Cohen’s court file—, the Trump Organization reimbursed the professional an amount “over the course of 2017.”
The outlet claims that “Trump’s business hid the true purpose of the payments, according to the document, by recording them as if they were for a legal advance that did not exist.”
He adds: “A conviction likely hinges on prosecutors showing that Trump reimbursed Cohen and falsified business records when he did so, possibly to conceal an election law violation.”
In parallel, the Department of Justice is investigating the case of Mar-a-Lago, the mansion of the former president in Florida, where he allegedly retained some government documents. Trump is also being investigated for his responsibility in the insurrection of January 6, 2021.
News in development…
