Trump Criminal Indictment ‘Likely,’ Times Reports
AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File
Donald Trump’s lawyers just received the strongest signal yet that Manhattan’s district attorney is preparing to criminally indict the former president for his “role in the payment of hush money” to porn star Stormy Daniels, the New York Times reported Thursday.
The Times cited four people with knowledge of the case who told the paper “prosecutors offered Mr. Trump the chance to testify next week before the grand jury that has been hearing evidence in the potential case.”
“Such offers almost always indicate an indictment is close; it would be unusual for the district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, to notify a potential defendant without ultimately seeking charges against him,” the Times added.
The probe into Trump by the Manhattan DA’s office began over five years ago and focuses around a $130,000 payment made to Daniels just ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, made the payment but was later reimbursed by Trump.
Cohen, who has become a fierce critic of Trump, has sat for multiple interviews with prosecutors and has told reporters he believes Trump will be indicted
Cohen pleaded guilty in federal court in 2018 for making the payments “at the direction” of Trump, which violated campaign finance laws and was allegedly meant to cover up Trump’s extramarital affair with Daniels.
Cohen, who was sentenced to three years in federal prison and served a little over a year, has since become a harsh critic of Trump.
“You, I think, testified 14 times, right, with Alvin Bragg’s office,” asked MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace in a January interview.
“14,” Cohen replied.
“On this 14th or 15th visit a couple weeks ago, was there evidence that there were new witnesses or new documents?” Wallace asked, trying to understand why the case is moving forward now.
“So like the last time I was on your show, I truly would love to spill the whole meeting, the two-and-a-half-hour plus meeting, but I won’t do that out of respect to the investigation,” replied Cohen, who worked for Trump for over a decade and held various executive position in his company.
“What I will tell you and something that I talk about in my book, Revenge, is Donald will ultimately be held accountable for this Stormy Daniels payment,” Cohen declared.
“And I’ve always said that this investigation that was to be brought by Alvin Bragg’s office previously Cy Vance Junior, is the most detrimental to him, his freedom, his livelihood, his business, etc., because it’s the easiest to prove – the checks are the checks,” Cohen argued.
