Trump is the first former President of the United States to be charged with a criminal offense. He claims his innocence and accuses Democrats of “political persecution” and “election meddling.”
IN NEW YORK:
After an investigation into hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels, a Manhattan grand jury indicted Donald Trump, making him the first former American president to be charged with a crime even as he launches another bid for the presidency.
The indictment is still under seal, therefore the particular charges are not yet revealed. Trump is accused of corporate fraud on more than 30 counts, according to CNN on Thursday.
Trump asserted his innocence and declared he would not withdraw from the 2024 presidential run. He claimed that Democratic presidential candidate Joseph Biden would make it harder for him to defeat Bragg in the general election.
He issued a statement that said, “This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the greatest level in history.”
Trump made a request for funds for a legal defense shortly after. According to his campaign, he has raised more than $2 million since wrongly predicting on March 18 that he would be arrested four days later.
Trump, who polls indicate is the front-runner for the Republican nomination in 2024, received backing on Thursday from a number of his possible rivals, including Florida Governor Ron Desantis and former Vice President Mike Pence.
Pence stated that “this would only serve to further polarize our nation.”
Although the White House remained silent, Democrats asserted that Trump was not above the law.
Charles Schumer, the leading Democrat in the Senate, urged Mr. Trump’s detractors and supporters to let the legal and peaceful process play out.
A court will probably unseal the charges in the upcoming days. At that point, Trump will need to fly to Manhattan for fingerprints and other formalities.
To arrange a surrender, Bragg’s office claimed to have spoken with Trump’s lawyer. A court official predicted that the surrender would probably take place on next Tuesday.
Susan Necheles and Joe Tacopina, Trump’s attorneys, vowed to “vigorously contest” the allegations.
One of the many legal issues that Trump is facing is the Manhattan probe.
Last year, Bragg successfully brought tax-fraud charges against Trump’s company, which resulted in a $1.61 million criminal fine.
According to a person acquainted with the situation, Judge Juan Merchan of the New York Supreme Court, who presided over that case, is anticipated to preside over this case as well.
Yet other Republican voters could get weary of the controversy, Trump might exploit the case to inflame his core constituency. In a recent Reuters/Ipsos survey, 44% of Republicans said he should withdraw from the race if he is indicted.
A number of demonstrators waved Trump-critical placards outside the courthouse while remaining silent. As a result of Trump’s call for countrywide demonstrations on March 18, which was in response to his inflammatory statements prior to the attack on the United States on January 6, 2021, authorities increased security surrounding the courtroom. by his supporters, Capitol.
shady money
Stephanie Clifford is Daniels’ true name, and she has claimed she was paid to be silent about a sexual encounter she had with Trump in 2006.
Michael Cohen, the personal attorney for the former president, said that he arranged the payments to Daniels and another woman, former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who also claimed she had a sexual encounter with him, with Trump. Trump has refuted a relationship with either lady.
Trump first denied in 2018 that he was aware of the payment to Daniels. He then admitted paying Cohen back for the deal, which he described as a “basic private transaction.”
Clark Brewster, Daniels’ lawyer, wrote on Twitter that “no one is above the law.”
In 2018, Cohen admitted to violating campaign financing laws and was sentenced to more than a year in jail. According to federal prosecutors, he followed Trump’s orders.
Cohen declared that he stood by his statement and the proof he gave the police. He stated in a statement that accountability is important.
No U.S. president, past or present, has ever been charged with a crime.
In addition to this case, a U.S.-appointed special counsel has opened two criminal investigations against Trump. Attorney General Merrick Garland and a another criminal investigation conducted by a Georgian district attorney.
Trump has often avoided legal trouble. He withstood two efforts by Congress to have him removed from office, including one for the attack on the United States on January 6. Capitol by his supporters and a protracted investigation of his 2016 campaign’s interactions with Russia.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office targeted Trump’s company in the tax fraud trial last year but chose not to prosecute Trump personally.
Legal analysts predict that Bragg would contend in the hush-money case that Trump fabricated corporate documents to conceal another crime, such as breaking the federal campaign finance laws, which is a felony.
