Former President Trump was indicted on criminal charges in New York on Thursday for his role in organizing hush money payments made to an adult film star during his 2016 campaign, according to a source familiar with the proceedings. The Associated Press has the story:
Trump indicted in Stormy Daniels hush-money
Newslooks- (AP)
A lawyer for Donald Trump said Thursday he’s been told that the former president has been indicted in New York on charges involving payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of an extramarital sexual encounter.
It becomes the first ever criminal case against a former U.S. president and a jolt to Trump’s bid to retake the White House in 2024.
Joe Tacopina, a lawyer for Trump, told The Associated Press he had been told that a grand jury that had been meeting for months voted to indict Trump. The specific charges were not immediately made public.
The history-making indictment marks the first time a president has been charged in a criminal matter and comes as several law enforcement entities are investigating Trump’s conduct in numerous probes.
Trump’s attorneys and campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The charges against Trump follow reports that the grand jury empaneled to hear evidence in the case was not set to meet again to weigh evidence until late April. Bragg retained the ability to call for a vote on the indictment even on days the grand jury was not meeting about the case.
Legal observers suggest an indictment of Trump would likely focus on charges of falsifying business records, but bumping that up from the misdemeanor to a felony could prove difficult.
The charges laid out in the indictment remain unclear.
The indictment, which remains under seal, follows an investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) that centered on a $130,000 payment fixer Michael Cohen made to adult film star Stormy Daniels shortly before the election.
Trump’s company labeled Cohen’s reimbursement of the payment as a legal expense and did not disclose them in campaign expense reports.
Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 and served time for his role in the matter on charges related to campaign finance violations and tax fraud. He claimed that Trump directed him to make the payment and that Trump reimbursed him in monthly installments that included a bonus.
The payment was made as part of a nondisclosure agreement as Daniels was prepared to go public with claims she has a sexual relationship with Trump – an affair he denies.
Trump has repeatedly dismissed the investigation as a witch hunt and previously called on supporters to protest his arrest.
Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing and has attacked the investigation, was expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to discuss a matter that remained under seal.
The grand jury indictment of Trump, 76, is an extraordinary development after years of investigations into his business, political and personal dealings. It is likely to galvanize critics who say Trump lied and cheated his way to the top and embolden supporters who feel the Republican is being unfairly targeted by a Democratic prosecutor.
