According to the media, a so-called grand jury in New York has voted to indict former US President Donald Trump in connection with hush money payments to a porn actress. As several US media reported unanimously on Thursday, the responsible grand jury voted to indict Trump in connection with alleged hush money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels before the presidential election in 2016.
Trump’s defense upheld the criminal indictment by a Manhattan grand jury, according to the AP news agency. Joe Tacopina, an attorney for Trump, said he was told the panel had decided on the first indictment of a former president in US history. The exact charges and details are still unclear. Never before in US history has an ex-president been charged with a crime.
The indictment, which has been kept secret by the responsible public prosecutor’s office, will probably be published in the coming days, the “New York Times” reported, citing several people familiar with the case.
Trump had paid hush money to the actress shortly before his election as president in 2016 – this could conflict with campaign finance rules. A 23-member grand jury will decide whether to press charges after prosecutors have presented evidence. Trump had recently claimed that he should be arrested – and called on his supporters to protest. This fueled fears among the authorities in New York that there could be riots.
A trial and potential conviction that could see the Republican face several years in prison could politically jeopardize his plans to run for president again — in terms of support from his party and the Republican base. In purely legal terms, on the other hand, according to legal experts, Trump could theoretically also stand as a convicted criminal in the 2024 presidential election.
