Ajit Karn
According to reports that prosecutors have informed former US President Donald Trump that he could face criminal charges for making hush-money payments shortly before the 2016 election to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have had a sexual encounter with him. The Manhattan district attorney has invited Mr. Trump to testify before a grand jury investigating the case’s evidence next week. This is a significant development since the beginning of the investigation and suggests that Mr. Trump is in dire danger of becoming the first former US President in American history to be indicted, the outlet added.
Four individuals with knowledge of the proceedings told the New York Times that Mr. Trump will likely reject the offer (NYT).
The latest development will also be detrimental to Mr. Trump, who has declared his intention to run for president in 2024.
One of Mr. Trump’s spokespeople called the attorney’s threat “insane” and was quoted by The Guardian as saying, “For the past five years, the district attorney’s office has been on a witch-hunt, investigating every aspect of President Trump’s life, and they’ve come up empty – and now this.”
The $130,000 hush money was paid by Mr. Trump’s team, including his long-time adviser Michael Cohen, who subsequently pleaded guilty and claimed it was done “in coordination with and at Trump’s direction.”
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According to a report by the New York Times, six individuals have already testified before the court, and Cohen is also anticipated to do so. However, even if he is indicted, it would be difficult to send Mr. Trump to prison because the charges against him are relatively minor, the publication noted.
In recent months, Mr. Trump’s advisers have advised the former president that he has a stronger case if he argues the payments were unrelated to the 2016 election. They recommended that Mr. Trump contend that the payments were made solely to avoid conflict with his wife, Melania.
