Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury following an investigation into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, making him the first former president to face criminal charges while running for re-election.
The specific charges are unknown because the indictment is still sealed. According to CNN, Trump faces more than 30 counts of business fraud.
Trump stated that he was “completely innocent” and stated that he would not withdraw from the presidential race in 2024. He accused Bragg, a Democrat, of attempting to harm his re-election chances against Democratic President Joe Biden.
“This is the highest level of political persecution and election interference in history,” he said in a statement.
Shortly after, Trump asked supporters to contribute to his legal defense fund. According to his campaign, he has raised more than $2 million since predicting incorrectly on March 18 that he would be arrested four days later.
According to polls, Trump is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in 2024, and he received support on Thursday from several potential challengers, including Florida Governor Ron Desantis and former Vice President Mike Pence.
“This will only serve to further divide our country,” Pence said.
While the White House did not respond, Democrats said Trump was not above the law.
“I encourage both Mr. Trump’s critics and supporters to allow the process to proceed peacefully and by the law,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
A judge will most likely unseal the charges in the coming days. At that point, Trump will have to travel to Manhattan for fingerprinting and other processing.
Bragg’s office said it had contacted Trump’s attorney to arrange for a surrender, which a court official said would most likely take place next Tuesday.
Trump’s attorneys, Susan Necheles and Joseph Tacopina have stated that the charges will be “vigorously fought.”
Trump is facing several legal challenges, including the Manhattan investigation.
Last year, Bragg successfully prosecuted Trump’s company on tax-fraud charges, resulting in a $1.61 million criminal penalty.
According to a person familiar with the matter, the presiding judge in that case, New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, is expected to oversee this case as well.
Trump may use the case to incite rage among his core supporters, but other Republican voters may grow tired of the drama. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released last week, 44% of Republicans believe he should drop out of the race if he is indicted.
Several protesters held signs criticizing Trump outside the courthouse. Authorities increased security around the courthouse after Trump called for nationwide protests on March 18, echoing his charged rhetoric ahead of his supporters’ Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
HUSH MONEY
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has stated that she was paid to remain silent about a sexual encounter she had with Trump in 2006.
Michael Cohen, the former president’s lawyer, has stated that he worked with Trump to coordinate payments to Daniels and a second woman, former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who also claimed to have had a sexual relationship with him. Trump has denied having an affair with either of the women.
Trump initially denied knowing anything about the payment to Daniels in 2018. He later admitted to repaying Cohen for the payment, which he described as a “simple private transaction.”
“No one is above the law,” Daniels’ attorney Clark Brewster tweeted.
In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to a campaign finance violation and was sentenced to more than a year in prison. According to federal prosecutors, he acted at Trump’s direction.
Cohen stated that he was confident in his testimony and the evidence he provided to prosecutors. “Accountability is important,” he stated in a statement.
No former or current president of the United States has ever faced criminal charges.
Aside from this case, Trump is the subject of two criminal investigations: one by a special counsel appointed by US Attorney General Merrick Garland and another by a Georgia prosecutor.
Trump has escaped legal trouble several times. In the White House, he faced two attempts by Congress to remove him from office, including for his supporters’ Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol, as well as a years-long investigation into his campaign’s contacts with Russia in 2016.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office targeted Trump’s business in last year’s tax-fraud trial but declined to charge Trump personally.
According to legal experts, Bragg is expected to argue in the hush-money case that Trump falsified business records to cover up another crime, such as violating federal campaign finance law, which is a felony.
