Former US President Donald Trump is set to face criminal charges related to hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election. A grand jury has indicted the 76-year-old on unspecified charges, making him the first serving or former US president to face criminal charges.
The case stems from an allegation that Mr. Trump directed his then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, to pay $130,000 to Stormy Daniels less than two weeks before the 2016 presidential election to prevent her from speaking out about an alleged affair with Mr. Trump. Cohen has said in court that he made the payment “in co-ordination with and at the direction of” the former president. Cohen was jailed from 2018-20 on multiple charges.
Mr. Trump denies any wrongdoing and has repeatedly slammed the investigation as a political “witch hunt” led by his opponents. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who has been pursuing the investigation, denies pursuing a political vendetta against Mr. Trump, tweeting this month: “We evaluate cases in our jurisdiction based on the facts, the law, and the evidence.”
Mr. Trump’s lawyer, Susan Necheles, said in a statement: “He did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in court.”
The charges against Mr. Trump will be read to him at a court hearing set to take place in New York City. He is expected to travel to New York on Monday and be arraigned in court on Tuesday, with the United States Secret Service providing security.
If convicted, Mr. Trump faces the prospect of having his fingerprints recorded and his mugshot taken, like all defendants in criminal cases. Despite the pending charges, Mr. Trump is currently the front-runner among all declared and potential contenders for the Republican White House nomination. There is nothing in US law that prevents a candidate who is found guilty of a crime from campaigning for and serving as president – even from prison.
The news of Mr. Trump’s indictment has already sparked a political firestorm, with Republicans rallying behind him and Democrats welcoming the charges. Top congressional Republicans, including House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy, have criticized Alvin Bragg’s investigation, accusing him of interfering in the presidential election. Meanwhile, Democrats argue that the charges show that no one is above the law.
Mr. Trump is also being investigated in several other cases, including probes into his role in the US Capitol riot of January 2021, his efforts to overturn his loss in the state of Georgia in the 2020 election, and his handling of classified documents after leaving office. Mr. Trump served as president from 2017-21 and was twice impeached by the House of Representatives. He was acquitted by the Senate both times.
