Trump indicted, first ex-president to be criminally charged

80,078 次觀看・1 年前

STORY: A grand jury in New York voted to indict former President Donald Trump, two sources said on Thursday, making him the first ex-president to face criminal charges in U.S. history.

The indictment, arising from an investigation into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, could reshape the 2024 presidential race.

The specific charges related to the probe - led by Democratic Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg - are not yet known.

The New York Times reported that the indictment will likely be announced in the coming days.

A lawyer representing Trump said she was informed of the indictment but did not know when he would surrender.

Bragg's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

"We're witnessing American history. Never has a former president been indicted or charged with the crime. And that's what we're seeing here.”

Neama Rahmani is a Former Federal Prosecutor and the president of West Coast Trial Lawyers:

“Trump will be given the opportunity to appear in court. He's not going to be arrested. Now he will be booked, which means he'll be fingerprinted. He'll have his mug shot taken. [FLASH] His attorneys, of course, will plead not guilty for him. I don't expect there to be any pretrial resolution in this case. And we're going to see the most politically charged trial in American history."

A grand jury began hearing evidence in January about Trump's role in the hush money payment to Daniels days before the 2016 presidential election that he ended up winning.

Daniels, an adult film actress whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has said she received the money in exchange for keeping silent about a sexual encounter she had with Trump in 2006.

The former president's personal lawyer Michael Cohen has said Trump directed hush money payments to Daniels.

Trump had denied having an affair with her.

Federal prosecutors examined the Daniels payoff in 2018, leading to a prison sentence for Cohen but no charges against Trump.

No former or sitting U.S. president has ever faced criminal charges.

Trump also faces criminal investigations led by a special counsel appointed by the U.S. Attorney General over his handling of classified government documents after leaving office and his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

He also faces an investigation led by a local prosecutor in Georgia into whether he unlawfully tried to overturn his 2020 election defeat in that state.

Trump previously said he would continue campaigning for the Republican Party's nomination if he was charged with a crime.