Donald Trump has been told he can testify before a grand jury in Manhattan as part of an investigation into hush money paid to an adult film star who said she’d slept with the former president, according to two of his attorneys.
Trump was not subpoenaed and is not being forced to appear in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office probe, the defense attorneys told NBC News on Thursday. Trump’s lawyers did not indicate whether he would testify.
The New York Times reported Thursday that Trump was told he could appear before the grand jury next week, and cited sources saying the DA’s office had signaled to Trump’s lawyers that he could face criminal charges.
A spokesperson for the DA’s office declined to comment to NBC News.
In a statement Thursday, a spokesperson for Trump blasted the office, casting any potential indictment as a political attack.
“The Manhattan District Attorney’s threat to indict President Trump is simply insane. For the past five years, the DA’s office has been on a Witch Hunt, investigating every aspect of President Trump‘s life, and they’ve come up empty at every turn — and now this,” the spokesperson said. “The fact that after their intensive investigation the DA is even considering a new political attack is a clear exoneration of President Trump in all areas.”
NBC News reported in January that prosecutors in New York had convened a grand jury in their investigation into hush money paid to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign.
The yearslong investigation into Trump over the payment has spanned the terms of two district attorneys, with Alvin Bragg taking the helm of the office and the probe in 2021.
Vaughn Hillyard contributed.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
