NEW YORK: A grand jury was set Wednesday in New York to consider whether to indict former President Donald trump for hush money paid to a porn star.
With barricades outside Trump Tower and police on high alert, the city has been holding its breath over the expected indictment for days, but times are uncertain.
The 76-year-old Republican would become the first former president or sitting president to be charged with a crime if the jury votes to indict.
The unprecedented move would send shockwaves during the 2024 election campaign, in which Trump is racing to regain office.
It would also raise the prospect of a former leader of the free world being arrested, booked, fingerprinted and possibly handcuffed.
Grand juries operate in secret to prevent perjury or witness tampering before trials, making it virtually impossible to follow their proceedings.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who was seen arriving at his office Wednesday morning, has not publicly confirmed any plans.
Some US media have speculated that the grand jury could decide whether to indict when it meets Wednesday afternoon after failing to sit down on Tuesday. It’s unclear when Bragg will announce any charges.
Legal experts have suggested it would likely be next week before Trump — currently at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida — is arraigned before a Manhattan criminal court judge.
Bragg, an elected Democrat, formed the grand jury in January following an investigation into the $130,000 paid to Stormy Daniels in 2016.
The payment was made weeks before that year’s election, allegedly to prevent Daniels from going public with an affair she claims she had with Trump years earlier.
Trump denies the story and called the investigation a “witch hunt”.
– Trump calls for protests – His former lawyer turned opponent Michael Cohen, who testified before the grand jury, told Congress in 2019 that he made the payment on Trump’s behalf and was subsequently reimbursed.
The payment to Daniels, if not properly accounted for, could result in a felony charge for forging company records, experts say.
This could be elevated to a felony if false accounting is intended to cover up a second offence, such as a campaign finance breach, which is punishable by up to four years in prison.
Analysts say the argument has not been tested and would be difficult to prove in court, and possible jail time is far from certain.
An indictment would start a lengthy trial that could last several months, if not longer. The case would face a mountain of legal troubles as it moves toward jury selection and would pose a security concern for the Secret Service agents protecting Trump.
NYPD erected barricades outside the courthouse and Trump Tower.
Trump had said, without evidence, that he would be arrested on Tuesday, but the day passed without any signs of indictment.
He has called massive rallies if he is charged, stoking fears of unrest similar to the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol, but so far the protests have been small and subdued.
Trump is facing multiple state and federal criminal investigations into possible wrongdoing that threatens his new run for the White House, far more serious than the Manhattan case.
They include his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state of Georgia, his handling of classified documents, and his possible involvement in the January 6 uprising.
Some observers believe an indictment bodes ill for Trump’s chances in 2024, while others say it could boost his support.
With barricades outside Trump Tower and police on high alert, the city has been holding its breath over the expected indictment for days, but times are uncertain.
The 76-year-old Republican would become the first former president or sitting president to be charged with a crime if the jury votes to indict.
The unprecedented move would send shockwaves during the 2024 election campaign, in which Trump is racing to regain office.
It would also raise the prospect of a former leader of the free world being arrested, booked, fingerprinted and possibly handcuffed.
Grand juries operate in secret to prevent perjury or witness tampering before trials, making it virtually impossible to follow their proceedings.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who was seen arriving at his office Wednesday morning, has not publicly confirmed any plans.
Some US media have speculated that the grand jury could decide whether to indict when it meets Wednesday afternoon after failing to sit down on Tuesday. It’s unclear when Bragg will announce any charges.
Legal experts have suggested it would likely be next week before Trump — currently at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida — is arraigned before a Manhattan criminal court judge.
Bragg, an elected Democrat, formed the grand jury in January following an investigation into the $130,000 paid to Stormy Daniels in 2016.
The payment was made weeks before that year’s election, allegedly to prevent Daniels from going public with an affair she claims she had with Trump years earlier.
Trump denies the story and called the investigation a “witch hunt”.
– Trump calls for protests – His former lawyer turned opponent Michael Cohen, who testified before the grand jury, told Congress in 2019 that he made the payment on Trump’s behalf and was subsequently reimbursed.
The payment to Daniels, if not properly accounted for, could result in a felony charge for forging company records, experts say.
This could be elevated to a felony if false accounting is intended to cover up a second offence, such as a campaign finance breach, which is punishable by up to four years in prison.
Analysts say the argument has not been tested and would be difficult to prove in court, and possible jail time is far from certain.
An indictment would start a lengthy trial that could last several months, if not longer. The case would face a mountain of legal troubles as it moves toward jury selection and would pose a security concern for the Secret Service agents protecting Trump.
NYPD erected barricades outside the courthouse and Trump Tower.
Trump had said, without evidence, that he would be arrested on Tuesday, but the day passed without any signs of indictment.
He has called massive rallies if he is charged, stoking fears of unrest similar to the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol, but so far the protests have been small and subdued.
Trump is facing multiple state and federal criminal investigations into possible wrongdoing that threatens his new run for the White House, far more serious than the Manhattan case.
They include his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state of Georgia, his handling of classified documents, and his possible involvement in the January 6 uprising.
Some observers believe an indictment bodes ill for Trump’s chances in 2024, while others say it could boost his support.
