Grand Jury on break around Easter
Indictment decision against Trump only at the end of April?
03/29/2023, 10:01 p.m
According to US media reports, a decision on whether to indict ex-US President Trump could still take some time. The grand jury is scheduled to take a break around Easter. The earliest possible date could be April 24th.
The decision on possible charges against former US President Donald Trump for paying hush money to a porn star could be delayed by weeks. Several US media reported that the indictment grand jury in New York could not consider the case until the end of April. Accordingly, a longer break in the regular meetings of the lay committee around Easter had been planned for some time.
The news channel CNN reported citing those in the know, the break will begin on April 5. The Washington Post wrotethe grand jury will deal with other cases early next week, but with the Trump case on April 24 at the earliest.
The deliberations of the grand jury are secret. The body consists of a total of 23 citizens, of whom at least 16 must be present at meetings. At the meetings, Manhattan’s chief attorney Alvin Bragg’s team presents the evidence to the grand jury, and witnesses may be questioned.
Have business documents been forged?
The investigation is about a hush money payment of $ 130,000 (around 120,000 euros) to the porn actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. The porn star, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, claims to have had an affair with Trump in 2006, which he denies. The payment itself is not illegal, but the ex-president could face charges of forging business documents or illegal campaign finance.
Trump himself said on March 18 that he should be arrested three days later and called on his supporters to protest. Previously, the signs of a possible indictment had condensed. However, the arrest announced by Trump did not take place, and the 76-year-old Republican has still not been charged.
Trump would be the first former US president in history to face impeachment. The right-wing populist, who wants to run again in the 2024 presidential elections, denies all allegations and describes the investigation as a politically motivated “witch hunt”.