CRIMEUNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Donald Trump indicted by New York jury: reports
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In a first for a former US president, Trump is reportedly being charged in connection to a probe into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels.
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A New York grand jury has voted to indict former US President Donald Trump following an investigation into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, US media reported on Thursday.
The indictment makes the 76-year-old the first-ever former US president to be charged with a crime.
On March 18, Trump posted on his Truth Social media platform that he was expecting to be arrested within days. New York braced for possible protests by his supporters, but the prospect of an immediate indictment seemed to recede as the grand jury convened and continued to hear witnesses.
Trump calls for protests if arrested: Stefan Simons reports from Washington
03:15
What we know about the indictment
The New York Times reported that the indictment would likely be announced in the coming days. The exact charges are not yet clear.
Joe Tacopina, a lawyer for Trump, was quoted as saying by the Associated Press (AP) news agency that he was told that the former president had been indicted.
The AP reported, citing the lawyer, that the charges were over payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to avoid a scandal.
Daniels allegedly received $130,000 (€119,000) weeks before the election to not go public about a sexual encounter she said she had with Trump a decade earlier.
Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, had previously told Congress that he made the payment to Daniels on Trump’s behalf and was later reimbursed. Cohen has also testified before the New York grand jury.
Trump has denied the allegations.
Trump says the indictment is ‘election interference’
Vehemently condemning the indictment, Trump said in a statement that it was “political persecution and election interference at the highest level in history.”
The former president also viciously attacked Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. He said he was “doing Joe Biden’s dirty work.”
“I believe this witch-hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden. The American people realize exactly what the radical left Democrats are doing here. Everyone can see it,” Trump said.
First indictment, multiple probes
The New York probe is one of several legal challenges facing Trump, but it is the first to reach a decision to charge the former president.
Trump is also facing felony investigations in Georgia in connection to the alleged tampering efforts following his 2020 election defeat in the state.
Jack Smith, a war crimes prosecutor, is also overseeing investigations into Trump’s handling of classified documents and his alleged efforts to undo the 2020 election.
Trump, who is seeking to return to the White House, has repeatedly claimed that such probes were politically motivated.
fb/sri (Reuters, AFP)
