Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhatt

Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury

Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury According to sources close to him, former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a grand jury in Manhattan, as confirmed by NPR. This marks the first time in the U.S. The charges have not been released yet, but are expected to be unsealed in the near future.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office spokesperson stated that they have contacted Trump's attorney to arrange for his surrender and arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment that remains under seal. The grand jury's investigation has focused on hush-money payments made by Trump's former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016 to keep her from revealing her alleged affair with Trump. Although Trump has acknowledged reimbursing Cohen, he has denied having had an affair with Daniels.

Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury

Following his indictment, the former president has criticized it as a case of political persecution and election interference. He has accused the Radical Left Democrats of launching a Witch-Hunt against him since he announced his candidacy, claiming that they have been attempting to undermine the Make America Great Again movement. Earlier this month, Trump had called on his supporters to hold large protests.

In 2018, Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal attorney, pleaded guilty to several federal charges, including making illegal campaign contributions by paying women to remain silent about their alleged affairs with Trump. Cohen outlined the plan, stating that he paid $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the last month of the 2016 presidential campaign.

Cohen was reimbursed for this payment by Trump through a series of monthly "retainer" payments totaling $420,000. Some of these payments were signed by Trump himself, from what Cohen claimed was his personal account. Falsifying business records could be considered a felony under New York law if it was done in furtherance of another crime, such as a campaign finance violation. Cohen stated that he even talked about the checks with Trump within the White House.

Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury

The investigation into Donald Trump's business practices was initiated by Cyrus Vance Jr., who was the District Attorney at that time, in 2018. The investigation soon expanded and in 2019, Vance subpoenaed Trump's tax returns for the past eight years. Trump opposed the request, and the case was brought to the Supreme Court twice, but the DA's request was ultimately granted, and the records were obtained in early 2021.

The investigation had progressed enough by the end of the year for Vance's team to prepare an indictment for Trump's alleged misrepresentations to banks and tax authorities regarding property valuations. However, with the arrival of a new DA, Alvin Bragg Jr., in 2022, the decision was made not to pursue the indictment, citing a wide-ranging fraud scheme.

The two lead prosecutors working on the case resigned. One of them expressed disappointment in his resignation letter, stating that while decisions made in good faith could be incorrect, he believed that the decision not to prosecute Trump on the existing record was misguided and against the public interest.

Bragg insisted he did not drop the investigation into Trump

Bragg pursued a prosecution case with constraints on a tax fraud conspiracy. He managed to secure verdicts against Allen Weisselberg, the ex-chief financial officer of Trump, and two Trump business entities,

for evading taxes by granting undeclared perks such as fancy apartments and automobiles to Weisselberg and others. During the trial, checks signed by Trump were presented, but he was not accused of any wrongdoing.

In recent times, Bragg has been bringing in witnesses to appear before a grand jury, among them being Michael Cohen. Additionally, Trump was asked to testify earlier this month, which some viewed as the last step before he would face indictment.

The ex-president referred to this as a "political Witch-Hunt" aimed at bringing down the most prominent candidate in the Republican Party. Trump and his legal team have continually characterized the investigation as "politically motivated" and a "witch hunt." Furthermore, they have accused Bragg, who is of African-American descent, of being "racist."

What legal questions does the case involve?

According to several legal professionals, prosecuting the criminal case that Bragg is expected to initiate may prove to be challenging in court. Although Michael Cohen was found guilty under federal law, the purported offenses may not align seamlessly with New York state statutes.

Mark Pomerantz, a former prosecutor who played a key role in the investigation initiated under Vance's tenure and subsequently stepped down, asserts that Trump's conduct violates New York state law. Pomerantz stated in a recent interview with NPR's Fresh Air that the funds in question were not intended for legal services, despite being recorded as such. As a result, the reimbursement documentation was falsified, constituting a criminal offense under New York law.