New York: Former US President Donald Trump could be indicted any day on charges of secretly paying huge sums of money to a well-known figure in 2016.
Legal experts say that the trial against the former US president will take more than a year and may coincide with the final months of the 2024 presidential campaign, as Trump is still expected to return to the White House. are willing
As the Republican candidate, Donald Trump has expressed his determination to continue his campaign in the upcoming presidential elections despite the indictment.
In a post made on a social media in the past few days, Trump said that he might be arrested next Tuesday, in this regard he also appealed to his workers to protest. However, according to his lawyer, no contact has been made by law enforcement agencies to arrest Trump.
Foreign news agencies Reuters Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg presented evidence to a New York grand jury about a secret payment of $130,000 to actress Stormy Daniels in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign. are
According to sources, Donald Trump has strongly denied the allegation and his lawyer has accused Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, of extortion.
If convicted at trial, Trump would become the first former US president to face criminal prosecution.
Former Manhattan Chief Assistant District Attorney Karen Friedman-Agnifilo has said that while it usually takes more than a year for a criminal case to go from indictment to trial, Trump’s case is particularly significant.
That raises the possibility that Trump will face the trial in the middle of the 2024 presidential campaign or even after the election, even if he is elected, without the power to exonerate himself from state charges. will
“It’s hard for me to say, will a judge try Trump this close to the election,” Agnifilo said. I think this is a difficult task.
Donald Trump has used aggressive counterattacks and delaying tactics before in the face of legal challenges. He has accused Alvin Bragg, an elected Democrat, of targeting him for political gain and may seek to dismiss the charges on those grounds.
In addition, Trump will likely pursue other mechanisms to protect himself, which may present some legal complications and issues that may take time to resolve.
As President Trump paid Daniels through his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, and prosecutors who indicted Cohen, court papers say the payments for legal services were improperly recorded.
The New York Times, citing sources, said the most likely charges against Trump would be falsification of records, and that this is generally a wrongful and illegal act anyway.
To raise the charge to a felony, prosecutors would have to prove Trump falsified records to cover up another crime, according to the report. According to the Times, there is also a possibility that prosecutors could say that the payment itself violated state finance law because it was an illegal secret donation to boost his campaign.
The photo and fingerprints of the suspect are taken for legal proceedings in the court, for which Trump will appear in court, but experts say that he will probably be released on identification and allowed to go home. will