The indictment of former President Donald Trump by a New York jury has plunged the United States into uncharted political, legal and historical waters, as well as raising a host of questions about how the case will play out.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office is investigating Trump in connection with his alleged role in a bribe payment and cover-up scheme involving adult film star Stormy Daniels, which dates back to the 2016 presidential election.
While the indictment — which has been filed under secrecy — has yet to be revealed, Trump and his allies have already lashed out at Bragg and the grand jury decision, calling it “political persecution and election interference at the highest level in history.”
Here’s what’s known about Trump’s indictment so far.
What is the charge for?
Trump faces more than 30 counts related to commercial fraud in the indictment, the CNN . They remain confidential.
The former president is expected to be indicted in Manhattan criminal court next Tuesday (4), but the timing of the appearance remains unclear.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s investigation began when Trump was still in the White House.
It concerns a $130,000 payment made by Trump’s then-personal lawyer Michael Cohen to Stormy Daniels in late October 2016, days before the presidential election, to silence her. of going public with the alleged affair with Trump a decade earlier. The former president denied the case.
What charges are possibly at stake?
One target in the investigation has been the payment made to Stormy Daniels and the Trump Organization’s reimbursement to Cohen.
According to court documents, when Cohen faced federal criminal charges, executives at Trump Org. authorized payments to him totaling US$420,000 (about R$2.1 million) to cover his original payment of US$130,000 (about R$658,000) and tax obligations and reward him with a bonus.
The company recorded the reimbursements as legal expenses in its internal books. Trump denied knowledge of the payment.
Hidden money payments are not illegal.
Prior to the indictment, prosecutors were weighing whether to charge Trump with falsifying the Trump Organization’s business records by how it reflected the reimbursement of the payment to Cohen, who said he advanced the money to Stormy Daniels.
Falsifying business records is a misdemeanor in New York.
Prosecutors are also weighing whether to charge Trump with first-degree falsification of business records for falsifying a record with intent to commit another crime, or aiding or concealing another crime, which in this case could be a violation of funding laws. of campaign.
This is a Class E felony and carries a sentence of a minimum of one year and up to four years. To prove their case, prosecutors would need to show that Trump intended to commit a crime.
“The People of New York State against Donald J. Trump”
The judge overseeing the case against Trump signed an order on Thursday granting Bragg’s request to publicly release the grand jury’s sealed indictment.
At the top of the order is the name of the case: The People of the State of New York v. Donald J. Trump.
Judge Juan Merchan wrote in the order that disclosure would be “in the public interest and an appropriate exercise of this Court’s discretion,” according to the document.
How did Trump respond?
Trump was blindsided by the grand jury’s decision to indict him, according to a person who spoke directly with him.
As the former president prepared for an indictment last week, he began to believe the news that a possible indictment was weeks – or more – away.
The former president has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in the matter and continued his attacks on Bragg and other Democrats after news of the indictment broke.
“I believe this witch hunt will massively backfire against Joe Biden,” the former president said in a statement on Thursday.
“The American people know exactly what the Radical Left Democrats are doing here. Everyone can see. So our movement and our party – united and strong – will first defeat Alvin Bragg and then we will defeat Joe Biden and throw every single one of these rogue Democrats out of office so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! ”
What’s next for Trump?
The former president was first asked to surrender on Friday in New York, his lawyer said, but his defense said more time was needed and he must appear in court on Tuesday.
As for the ex-president’s initial court appearance, it will look, in some ways, like any other defendant’s, and in others, it will look very different.
First appearances are usually public proceedings. If a defendant’s arrest is not necessary, arrangements are made with them or their lawyers for voluntary surrender to law enforcement authorities.
With their first appearance in court, defendants are usually booked and their fingerprints are taken. And if a first appearance is also an accusation, it is expected that a rebuttal will be filed.
Trump will have to go through certain processes that any other defendant must go through when an indictment is brought against him.
But Trump’s status as a former president who is currently running for the White House again will inject additional security and practical concerns around the next steps in his case.
Is this a unique situation?
Yes. This is the first time in American history that a current or former president has faced criminal charges.
That alone makes it historic.
But Trump is a few months into his third White House bid, and his criminal prosecution takes the 2024 presidential campaign into a new phase as the former president vowed to continue running in the face of criminal charges.
What does that mean for him politically?
That’s one of the many big questions here.
So far, several Republican congressmen have rallied to Trump’s defense, attacking Bragg on Twitter and accusing the district attorney of a political witch hunt.
“Outrageous,” tweeted House Judiciary Speaker Jim Jordan of Ohio, one of the chairs of the Republican committee that demanded Bragg testify before Congress about the Trump investigation.
Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, called the charge “completely unprecedented” and said it is “a catastrophic escalation in the arming of the justice system.”
And as part of the response to the indictment, Trump and his team will launch surrogates starting to target Democrats, the investigation and Bragg, in various forms of media as they work to shape the public narrative, according to sources close to Trump.
Can Trump still run for president even though he’s been indicted?
Yes.
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.
