The Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump on charges of making under-the-table payments during the 2016 presidential campaign, to silence porn actress Stormy Daniels, who claimed she had had an extramarital sexual encounter with the tycoon. This is the first criminal case against a former US president and an undeniable blow to Trump’s attempt to retake the White House.
Case questions and answers
What does the indictment mean for Trump: will he be able to run again for the White House? Will he turn the investigation into a show? He will be in court on Tuesday: everything you need to know
From Washington correspondent Alberto Simoni
The former president, who has denied any wrongdoing and has repeatedly pointed the finger at the investigation, called the accusation a “political persecution”. And he added: «I think this witch hunt will backfire on Joe Biden in a massive way. The American people understand exactly what the Democrats of the Radical Left are doing here.” The former US president will appear in court on Tuesday to answer the charges. Trump will likely show up at the DA’s office, have his fingerprints taken and his mug shot taken, then appear before a judge who will ask if he believes he’s guilty or innocent.
Who is Stormy Daniels, the former porn star who had Trump indicted?
Trump faces more than 30 counts of corporate fraud. Two sources familiar with the matter report it to CNN. The charges have not yet been formalized, but the case concerns the payment of a porn star, Stormy Daniels, who had threatened in 2016 – just before the presidential elections – to reveal that she had sex with him. Trump, according to the allegations, bought the silence with $130,000, recorded in the Trump Organization’s books as an expense for the legal services of his lawyer, Michael Cohen. The investigations lasted almost five years.
Who is Alvin Bragg, the first African American prosecutor in Manhattan to challenge Trump
“An outrage and an example of political persecution.” Thus the former American vice president Mike Pence defined – speaking with CNN – the decision of the Manhattan grand jury. “I think the unprecedented indictment of a former US president over a campaign finance issue is a scandal,” he said, later criticizing “the media’s obsession with these investigations into Donald Trump.” “I think Americans will see this, and they will realize that this is a new example of the political criminalization of this country and the kind of drama that involves Washington and makes it impossible to really solve the problems.” Some Trump supporters took to the streets to show support for the former US president, after the news of the indictment.