U.S grand jury indicts ex-President Trump
A Manhattan grand jury has indicted Donald Trump after a probe into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, becoming the first former U.S president to face criminal charges.
The specific charges are not yet known, as the indictment remains under seal.
The charges will likely be unsealed by a judge in the coming days. Trump will have to travel to Manhattan for fingerprinting and other processing at that point.
Bragg’s office said it had contacted Trump’s attorney to coordinate a surrender, which a court official said would likely occur next Tuesday.
Trump’s indictment comes as he makes another run for the White House.
Trump said he was “completely innocent” and indicated he would not drop out of the 2024 presidential race.
Political Persecution
Trump has accused Bragg, a Democrat, of trying to hurt his chances of winning re-election against Democratic President Joe Biden.
“This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history,” he said in a statement.
Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination according to polling, received support from a number of his potential challengers on Thursday including Florida Governor Ron Desantis and former Vice President Mike Pence.
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“This will only further serve to divide our country,” Pence said.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has said she received money in exchange for keeping silent about a sexual encounter she had with Trump in 2006.
The former president’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen has said he coordinated with Trump on the payments to Daniels and to a second woman, former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who also said she had a sexual relationship with him.
Trump has denied having affairs with either woman.
Rule of law
While the White House did not comment, Democrats said Trump was not immune from the rule of law.
“I encourage both Mr. Trump’s critics and supporters to let the process proceed peacefully and according to the law,” said the top Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer.
Trump’s lawyers Susan Necheles and Joseph Tacopina said they will “vigorously fight” the charges.
No former or sitting U.S. president has ever faced criminal charges.
Zainab Sa’id
