Former President Donald Trump has been indicted in New York City following a months-long investigation into hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump allegedly paid Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about an affair during the 2016 election.
Trump has consistently denied having an affair with Daniels and claims that the charges are politically motivated.
But charges by the Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, suggest that Trump illegally wrote the hush money off as tax-deductible expenses, used campaign funds for the payments and falsified business records. The charges are not clear at this time, but most of these crimes are considered low-level felonies, subjecting Trump to at most four years in prison if convicted.
Trump is the first president in American history to face criminal charges following his presidency. Trump is currently seeking reelection.
Trump has been predicting his arrest on Truth Social. Trump initially suggested he would be arrested on March 21 and called for a protest outside the Manhattan D.A.’s office. A small group of 50 people arrived in support of Trump.
A grand jury hearing on Trump’s indictment was scheduled for the following day but was subsequently canceled.
New York’s investigation into the former president is the first grand jury to indict him. He is also facing charges in Georgia for lying to the public about elections fraud, federal investigations into his dealings with January 6 and classified documents found at his private residence in Mar-A-Lago.
