Donald Trump Indicted in New York Over Hush Money Payment Case

A New York grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office's case against Trump centers on a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels
Trump, the only former president ever to be charged with a crime, has denied any involvement

Former President Donald Trump was indicted in Manhattan on Thursday for his part in paying hush money to a porn star, according to five people with knowledge of the situation. This historic revelation will shake up the 2024 presidential election and make Trump the first former president to face criminal charges.

According to NY Times, prosecutors working for district attorney Alvin Bragg will likely request Trump's surrender and arraignment in the following days. When he is arraigned, the particular charges will be revealed.

Donald Trump Indictment

Despite constant scrutiny and multiple probes, Trump has evaded criminal charges for decades, establishing an air of legal invulnerability that the indictment now threatens to destroy.

His activities following his 2020 electoral setback are now the subject of a second federal investigation, and a Georgia prosecutor is nearing the conclusion of a probe into Trump's efforts to overturn election results in that state.

In contrast to the investigations from Trump's stay in the White House, this lawsuit is based on an unsavory incident before his administration. The reality star-turned-presidential candidate who stunned the political establishment by winning the White House now faces accountability for a hush money payment that buried a sex scandal in the final days of the 2016 campaign.

In a statement, Trump lashed out at Democrat Bragg and characterized the case as continuing a politically driven witch investigation against him. Trump has constantly denied any wrongdoing and stated that he did not have an affair with porn star Stormy Daniels, who was attempting to sell her tale of a sexual encounter with Trump during the campaign.

On Thursday, minutes before the grand jury was supposed to convene at 2:00 p.m., the three top prosecutors in the Trump investigation entered the building where the grand jury was meeting.

One of them had a copy of the criminal code with visible Post-it notes, presumably utilized to recite the criminal statutes to the grand jurors before their vote. Three hours later, the prosecutors entered the court clerk's office through the rear door to start the indictment filing procedure.

Per USA Today, Susan Necheles and Joseph Tacopina, attorneys for Trump, stated that he had been indicted and added, "He did not commit a crime."

A second attorney representing Trump, Alina Habba, released a statement: "A former president, a current candidate, and my friend President Donald Trump is a victim of a corrupt and distorted version of the American justice system and history. He will be vindicated."

Trump Supporters Condemn Indictment

Supporters of Donald Trump denounce the charge, claiming that it is an attempt to prevent the former president from being reelected. Taylor Budowich, the leader of the pro-Trump group Make America Great Again Inc., said on Thursday that there "was no crime" and that the charge is "the indictment of a failed nation." According to Budowich, the indictment will fail, and Trump will be reelected.

An indictment of Trump would presumably center on allegations of fabricating company documents, but elevating this to a felony might prove challenging, according to legal experts. A felony charge needs a link to a second offense and would increase the potential prison sentence from one to four years.

Trump and Michael Cohen may have broken state statutes prohibiting "a false entry in the business records of an enterprise" by claiming the payments were for legal services that were never done. Trump also indicated that the matter goes beyond New York's five-year statute of limitations for most state offenses, as per The Hill.

Yet, the case may be "tolled," which extends the deadline for filing criminal charges. New York permits this when a defendant has been continuously absent from the state. Although these are the first allegations to be filed against Trump, other charges may be forthcoming.

On Monday, Trump attempted to halt a Georgia probe into his efforts to influence the state's election. Earlier this year, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis stated that charging decisions are anticipated.

Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed a special counsel to investigate Trump's participation in the larger inquiry surrounding January 6, 2021 and the mishandling of federal information at Mar-a-Lago.