The extraordinary legal danger surrounding Donald Trump is reaching its peak even as the former president advances through the 2024 Republican primaries, increasingly dominated by criminal investigations in New York, Washington and Atlanta.
But there is no public information on when or if an indictment might be filed, leaving the former president and the public in suspense.
The Manhattan grand jury hearing evidence in the case regarding Trump’s alleged role in a scheme to pay a bribe to an adult movie star will convene on Thursday, a source familiar with the investigation told Reuters. CNN . NBC first reported the development.
New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office suggested to a lawyer for at least one witness in the last 24 hours that they may need to provide more testimony to the grand jury in their bribery investigation, according to a source familiar with the investigation. .
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is trying to determine whether to recall former Trump attorney Michael Cohen to rebut testimony provided earlier this week by attorney Robert Costello — or to call in an additional witness to bolster its case before the big jurors consider a vote on whether or not to indict the former president, said the source familiar with the investigation.
Representatives of the DA’s office and Cohen declined to comment. CNN .
There is still a possibility that the grand jury will be asked to vote this week, but that could also extend into next week, the source said.
Expectations are high that Bragg, a Democrat, is preparing to make a decision on a possible indictment against Trump any day now over a secret payment scheme for adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Bragg said little about the status of the investigation or whether Trump will be charged.
The Manhattan grand jury usually hears testimony on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, but did not meet on Wednesday.
On the previous Wednesday, two sources told the CNN that the grand jury was on hold but still hadn’t received a call. Prosecutors don’t have a pressing deadline, as the grand jury meets through June.
As the investigation nears its final stages, prosecutors are considering the historic nature of prosecuting a former president — an unprecedented act, sources told CNN .
Other sources told the CNN that the DA’s office is taking its time to regroup after last week’s events.
In another blow to Trump’s legal team, Trump’s defense attorney Evan Corcoran is set to testify on Friday before the grand jury investigating classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago following a new order from a federal court for appeals, a source told CNN .
The US Court of Appeals for DC said Corcoran must provide additional testimony and turn over documents about the former president as part of the criminal investigation into the possible mishandling of confidential documents from Trump’s time in the White House.
The source said the Trump side is unlikely to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The announcement of a three-judge panel in the court of appeals — less than a day after Trump tried to put Corcoran’s testimony on hold — adds momentum to the special counsel’s investigation as it seeks to obtain evidence that could make or break a federal criminal case. against Trump.
New York braces for possible indictment
After Trump posted on social media last weekend calling for protests on his behalf, city and federal officials ramped up security and continued to discuss how to handle potential demonstrations and the logistics of a former president being arrested.
Sources suggested that even if there was an indictment this week, the court case would not take place until the following week.
The prosecutor has made no public comment on the status or pace of the investigation. But Costello’s recent testimony, as well as an offer to allow Trump himself to testify, signaled that Bragg was closing in on a prosecution decision.
Costello, who previously represented Cohen, appeared before the grand jury on Monday at the request of Trump’s legal team, which legal experts say likely marked the first time the grand jury has heard testimony on behalf of the former president.
But in another possible setback for Trump, communications between Daniels and an attorney now representing Trump, Joe Tacopina, were turned over to the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, Daniels’ attorney told CNN.
The exchanges — which date back to 2018, when Daniels was seeking representation — raise the possibility of Tacopina being dropped from Trump’s defense in the case.
At his home in Mar-a-Lago, Trump appears to have resigned himself to the likelihood of being indicted by the Manhattan District Attorney, as he celebrated how it would help him politically and complained about how “unfair” it is, according to the sources close to the former president.
Court rules which Trump lawyer should testify
Meanwhile, Trump is the focus of a separate investigation led by Special Counsel Jack Smith into his handling of classified documents.
Wednesday’s appeals court ruling that Corcoran must testify before the grand jury investigating the matter followed a flurry of activity in response to a landmark ruling by a district court judge.
That decision indicated that the Justice Department successfully argued that it had evidence that Trump may have committed a crime, sources familiar with the matter told CNN .
The appeals court’s three-judge panel gave the Justice Department and Trump’s lawyers just a few hours to file briefs about the Justice Department’s pressure to force Corcoran to testify, a quick schedule that highlighted the court’s view that it was a critical case that needed to be decided in a hurry.
Corcoran previously testified and declined to answer some questions, citing attorney-client privilege. Prosecutors are also seeking access to Corcoran’s notes.
The documents at issue in the case are Corcoran’s handwritten notes and transcribed verbal notes about his representation of Trump in the Mar-a-Lago investigation, according to a source familiar with the matter.
It is not fully known what Corcoran’s testimony and documents would reveal.
While the special counsel’s case may pose a more serious legal threat to the president, it is the Manhattan district attorney who appears closest to pressing charges.
Amid uncertainty over how the year-long investigation will play out, several aides to the former president have expressed frustration at the lack of information about a possible indictment and the logistical complications that would come with an appearance in New York where Trump would be indicted.
“We are planning what we can: what does he say and when?” another adviser told CNN . “There’s not much we can really plan right now.”
Trump’s lawyers are also trying to undermine an investigation into the former president in Georgia over efforts to overturn the state’s 2020 election.
Trump’s lawyers this week asked a judge to release the final report and evidence from a special grand jury in Fulton County.
Trump’s possible indictment in New York is not affecting the pace of collection decisions in the Fulton County case, where indictments could occur as early as this spring, the news agency said. CNN previously.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
