A grand jury is set to review the evidence presented by Manhattan prosecutors on Monday regarding former United States President Donald Trump's alleged hush-money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to cover up an extramarital affair.
The payments were allegedly made during the Republican businessman's 2016 presidential campaign, said people familiar with the matter. The development will bring prosecutors one step closer to potentially filing criminal charges against the former president, marking a significant escalation in the case.
Trump's Hush-Money Payment to Stormy Daniels
The entire situation between Trump and Daniels began in 2018 after a bombshell report by the Wall Street Journal that claimed Michale Cohen, who was previously a long-time attorney for Trump, made a $130,000 payment to Daniels a month before the 2016 election to keep her silent about the former president's alleged affair.
Later, Cohen admitted that he made the payments to the adult film actress in violation of campaign finance laws. Authorities also sentenced him to three years in federal prison. On the other hand, Trump has denied that he directed his former attorney to pay Daniels off, saying that the payments did not come from his campaign, as per Yahoo News.
Another report by the New York Times said that one of the witnesses in the incident, former National Enquirer published David Pecker, was seen entering the Manhattan building where the grand jury had assembled on Monday.
Pecker's tabloid was responsible for helping broker the deal with Daniels. He received immunity in 2018 in exchange for testifying about the former president's knowledge regarding the payments to the adult film star.
Furthermore, prosecutors have been in contact with several individuals who worked on Trump's 2016 campaign, said sources. The hush-money case is only one of the many criminal cases the former president faces.
Read Also : Tyre Nichols Death Gets Shocking Development
A Slew of Criminal Investigations
Prosecutors are now preparing to reconstruct the events related to the payments for grand jurors to review. According to the New York Times, they are also seeking to interview several witnesses, including Dylan Howard, the tabloid's former editor, and two employees from the former president's company.
Despite the accusations, a conviction of the former president is not set in stone because the case is based on proving that Trump and his company falsified records to hide the payments days before the 2016 elections. Furthermore, it is a low-level felony charge that would be hinged on a largely untested legal theory.
However, the latest development in the case comes as the former president is already moving forward with his 2024 campaign run. It also comes as a district attorney in Georgia could seek to indict Trump for his alleged attempts to overturn his 2020 loss in the state.
The Trump Organization was also convicted of criminal tax fraud and other offenses late last year. Furthermore, District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office is pursuing an inquiry related to potential insurance fraud by the company.
On the other hand, the former president has denied any wrongdoing and argued that the probe by Bragg, a Democrat, is politically motivated. A spokeswoman for the district attorney's office and a lawyer for the former president, Ronald Fischetti, declined to comment on the matter, said the Wall Street Journal.
Related Article: Trump Kicks Off 2024 Campaign Run
