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Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in the case involving a payment his former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.
Updated March 22, 2023, 1:18 PM UTC
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What to know about a possible Trump indictment
- Former President Donald Trump is facing possible criminal charges in New York relating to a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016.
- The possible crime Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is investigating is whether Trump falsified business records. The key witness that has gone before the grand jury was Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney and fixer, who made the payment to Daniels.
- Trump maintains he has committed no crime, and his attorneys argue he was the victim of extortion. He has been critical of Cohen, Bragg and Daniels.
- The legal underpinnings of the proceeding appear far from an open-and-shut case. Read more here.
12m ago / 1:18 PM UTC
How often has the Manhattan DA charged falsification of business records?
Prosecutors in New York have filed 117 felony counts for falsification of business records since District Attorney Alvin Bragg assumed the role, according to internal data kept by the office.
Those cases include 29 individuals and companies. The New York Times was the first to report the data.
Such context could become important if, in fact, that’s what the office charges Trump with for his involvement in the hush money payment to Daniels.
24m ago / 1:06 PM UTC
Trump says Manhattan DA is ‘searching for yet another witness’
In a social media post Tuesday, Trump suggested that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg was “searching for yet another witness” to testify against him, although he didn’t say who that person may be or what the individual could talk about — or how he would know that information.
Cohen told reporters this weekend that the DA had asked him to be available Monday in case he was needed as a rebuttal witness after Bob Costello, another attorney from Trump’s orbit, testified Monday.
But after leaving the courthouse, Cohen said no additional testimony from him was needed.
The grand jury proceedings are taking place behind closed doors amid intense speculation about when the panel could vote on possible charges. Another witness would likely further delay a resolution.
24m ago / 1:06 PM UTC
‘Reeks of political revenge’: Republicans circle the wagons around Trump
Ahead of a possible indictment, Republicans in Congress have largely rallied to Trump’s defense. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., on Tuesday said the case seemed “politically motivated.”
“You know, President Trump, before he ran the first time, and ever since then, has been the subject of so many investigations, so many allegations that I just don’t think it sticks to him anymore,” she said. “You know, people either love him or they hate him and that’s the way it is now. I think that’s the way it’ll continue to be. So I don’t see it as influencing this election.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said, “I just think it just kind of reeks of political revenge.” Graham is a close ally of the former president.
24m ago / 1:06 PM UTC
What is everyone waiting for?
In recent days, it has become apparent that a grand jury in New York could be nearing a vote on possible charges against Trump.
No one from Bragg’s office has come out and said that’s the case — that would violate the rules governing grand juries. But public signs, comments and reporting point to a likely resolution soon.
Trump this weekend even stoked speculation that action was imminent when he posted on social media that he was going to be arrested. His spokesperson later said that he had not been informed by Bragg’s office that was the case.
The grand jury could vote on an indictment Wednesday. Or not. If it did, the indictment could become public within hours. But it could also be kept secret, or “under seal,” for days or even weeks.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com