A Manhattan grand jury has reportedly voted to indict former president Donald Trump in the Stormy Daniels “hush money” investigation. This decision marks a historic first as no former US president has ever faced criminal prosecution before. The indictment, which remains sealed, was filed with the clerk’s office later on Thursday evening. The specific charges that have been brought against the former president have not yet been made public.
The grand jury, which has been hearing evidence and witness testimony related to a hush-money payment made on Trump’s behalf to Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign, has been in session since January. This suggests that the grand jury has been taking the matter very seriously and has likely been poring over a considerable amount of evidence in order to reach their decision.
Trump, who is currently running for the 2024 Republican nomination, has been very vocal in his opposition to the investigation being conducted by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. He has described it as a “political witch-hunt” and has insisted that he did nothing wrong. In fact, he has gone so far as to accuse District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, of “prosecutorial misconduct.” Trump has also claimed that any charges that might be brought against him would be barred by the statute of limitations.
It is worth noting that this indictment stems from a payment made by Trump’s former personal attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, to Daniels in 2016. Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 in exchange for her silence about an alleged affair she had with the New York real estate mogul in 2006. Trump has consistently denied the affair ever took place.
This news is likely to have major implications for both Trump and the US legal system. The fact that a grand jury has decided to indict a former US president is unprecedented, and it is likely to trigger a legal battle that could go on for some time.
