The exact charges are still unknown, according to the New York Times. But the Manhattan grand jury decided in favor of the indictment, the paper reported, citing insiders. The deliberations of the committee consisting of 23 citizens are secret. A decision was originally expected towards the end of April.
The indictment, which has been kept secret by the responsible public prosecutor’s office, will probably be published in the coming days, the newspaper said. The indictment is “a historic development that will rock the 2024 presidential race,” as Trump is the first former US president to be prosecuted.
Payment not illegal
The investigation is about a hush money payment of $ 130,000 (around 120,000 euros) to the porn actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. The porn star, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, stated that she had an affair with Trump in 2006, which he denies.
Trump’s lawyer at the time, Michael Cohen, who has since renounced his former client, says he paid them hush money on Trump’s behalf during the election campaign in order to avert political damage shortly before the election. Trump’s company later reimbursed him for the expenses in several installments. In December 2018, Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison.
The payment itself is not illegal, but charges could include forgery of business documents or illegal campaign finance. Finally, the prosecutors could argue that the hush money benefited the candidacy directly. Trump and his attorneys have also conceded payment. However, the Republican denies having anything to do with the porn actress and insists that the payment had nothing to do with campaign funds.
Trump himself assumed arrest
Recently, the signs of a possible indictment had been condensed. Trump himself said on March 18 that he should be arrested soon. He called on his supporters to protest. The authorities in New York feared that there could be riots.
Trump’s environment had recently assured that the ex-president would follow the usual procedure should there be an indictment – and would also voluntarily appear in court to find out details of possible charges. So there would be no reason for a sensational arrest. It is considered likely that Trump will be able to return home after the usual formal impeachment procedures.
“lunatics” and “scum”
However, at a recent event, Trump berated authorities that the New York District Attorney had “investigated something against me under the auspices of the ‘Department of Justice’ in Washington that is not a crime, not a wrongdoing, not an affair,” Trump said. He was the victim of “a witch hunt and invented investigation”. Behind it were “radical left-wing lunatics”. Trump called the plaintiffs “human scum”.
Trump wants to run for the White House again in 2024. A trial and potential conviction that could see the Republican face several years in prison could politically jeopardize his plans to run for president again — in terms of support from his party and the Republican base. In purely legal terms, on the other hand, Trump could theoretically also stand as a convicted criminal in the 2024 presidential election, experts believe.
