Former United States President Donald Trump is likely facing criminal charges over the hush money controversy involving an adult film star, New York Prosecutors suggest.
Prosecutors with the Manhattan District Attorney's office have reportedly taken action that suggests the Republican businessman could be indicted soon over his role in the controversy. The hush money payments allegedly happened during the closing days of the 2016 presidential election.
Potential Criminal Charges Against Trump
If the prosecutors push through with the indictments, it will make Trump the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges. Recent reports noted that the Republican businessman was offered the chance to appear before the New York City grand jury hearing evidence against him.
It would be seen as uncharacteristic for prosecutors to offer a potential defendant a chance to testify before a grand jury if they were not seeking an indictment against the individual. According to New York law, an individual who could be indicted has the right to appear before a grand jury before a prosecutor requests a grand jury to vote based on the charges against that person, as per the Independent.
The investigation in New York on the former president has been ongoing since 2018, when his former attorney, Michael Cohen, faced federal charges related to the same scheme. Prosecutors allege that they paid adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 as hush money to prevent her from revealing an affair with Trump, a presidential candidate.
Cohen repeatedly met with the New York County District Attorney's office, which District Attorney Alvin Bragg heads. He is also expected to testify before the grand jury about the case.
There have also been other former aides to Trump that provided evidence in the investigation, including Kellyanne Conway and Hope Hicks, who are ex-2016 campaign aides. The former president's team responded in response to the latest development, calling the situation "insane."
Hush Money to Adult Film Star
The potential criminal charges come amid an array of criminal investigations that Trump faces over various controversies and issues. While Bragg could be the first to indict the former president, he may not be the last to do so, according to the New York Times.
The situation comes as Bragg's prosecutors have not yet finished the grand jury presentation, which means that the district attorney could still decide against seeking an indictment against Trump. The former president previously argued that the prosecutors are engaged in what he called a "witch hunt" against him that started before he became president.
Two of Trump's defense attorneys confirmed that their client was told through his lawyers about being allowed to appear before the grand jury. Trump's attorneys added that such an offer was standard and that no subpoena was issued compelling him to appear before the panel.
The former president, now seeking a 2024 presidential re-election, has continued denying that he had sex with the adult film star. However, he reimbursed Cohen for the payment that the latter made to Daniels, said CNBC.
Related Article : Joe Biden Unveils Massive $6.8 Trillion Budget Proposal
