Alvin L. Bragg, the Manhattan District Attorney, just gave a pretty clear signal that former President Donald Trump may face criminal charges for his alleged role in paying hush money to pornstar Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign.
The New York Times reported that the former president had been offered a chance to testify before the grand jury that has been hearing evidence in the case.
A spokesperson for Trump responded, “The Manhattan District Attorney’s threat to indict President Trump is simply insane. It’s an embarrassment to the Democrat prosecutors, and it’s an embarrassment to New York City.”
The NYT report also said that when an offer like the one given to Trump comes, it is almost always an indication that an indictment is at hand. It said that it would be “unusual” for any district attorney to give a defendant that opportunity “without ultimately seeking charges against” them.
The investigation into the alleged $130,000 hush money payment to Daniels has lasted five years. She maintains that they had an affair together. Representatives for Daniels contacted the National Enquirer about her story during the campaign. The publication did not buy the exclusive rights to the story but brokered a deal between Trump’s attorney and Daniels.
The problem for Trump is that the expense was listed as a legal expense and the company cited a retainer agreement with his lawyer.
The legal report said that prosecutors can raise the misdemeanor to a felony if they can prove that the former president’s “‘intent to defraud’ included an intent to commit or conceal a second crime.”
If Trump was convicted in the case, he would face a maximum of four years behind bars, but prison time is not mandatory.
Trump gave a statement saying that he did “absolutely nothing wrong” and that he never had an affair with Stormy Daniels. He also claimed that the investigation was a “political Witch-Hunt.”
“It is appalling that the Democrats would play this card and only means that they are certain that they cannot win at the voter booth, so they have to go to a tool that has never been used in such a way in our country, weaponized law enforcement,” he claimed.
