AMERICA was plunged into an unprecedented political frenzy today after Donald Trump was indicted by a grand jury following an investigation into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels.
The bombshell legal move meant that he became the first former president to face criminal charges, further deepening the political chasm across the United States.
Mr Trump was expected to have to travel to New York, possibly on Tuesday, where he would have his mugshot and fingerprints taken, before entering a plea at an initial court hearing. But far from killing off his hopes of a White House comeback, the indictment was predicted to energise his diehard supporters and possibly boost his chances of becoming the Republican candidate at the presidential election next year. The specific charges were not yet known as the indictment remained under seal.
CNN claimed Mr Trump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud, with other reports saying it would be a couple of dozen. He said he was “completely innocent” and indicated that he would not drop out of the presidential race.
Some legal experts believe Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg will argue Mr Trump falsified business records to cover up another crime, such as violating federal campaign-finance law, which makes it a felony, though none of this has been confirmed. Mr Bragg, who left his office yesterday flanked by security guards, said he was co-ordinating with Mr Trump’s office for his surrender and court appearance.
This story is from the March 31, 2023 edition of Evening Standard.
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This story is from the March 31, 2023 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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