1 of 2 Former US President Donald Trump announcing that he will run for President in 2024. — Photo: Portal Former US President Donald Trump announcing that he will run for President in 2024. — Photo: Portal
If he is actually arrested, it would be the first time something like this has happened to a former US President.
Donald Trump admits he knew about the deal to buy Stormy Daniels to remain silent
The 76yearold expresident called on his supporters to protest, and the security forces went on alert.
remember the case
Trump reportedly paid porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 in the weeks leading up to the 2016 election to keep quiet about an alleged extramarital relationship.
2 of 2 Stormy Daniels in October 2018 — Photo: Markus Schreiber/AP Stormy Daniels in October 2018 — Photo: Markus Schreiber/AP
Such a payment would not be illegal, but in practice the money was justified as legal fees for one of Trump’s attorneys, Michael Cohen it is this attempt to disguise the nature of the payment that can be considered criminal; The public prosecutor assumes that the business registration was falsified.
In addition, the indirect payment would also be an attempt to hide a relationship from voters, prosecutors claim.
See below what to expect in the coming days.
What is charge?
Being indicted in a US court means that a person has been formally charged with a felony by a grand jury or district attorney. The charges are the result of a police or FBI investigation that collected sufficient evidence to support the charges. Being accused does not mean that the person is guilty, only that there is a reason to bring them to justice.
Will Trump be charged?
A New York court may have to decide whether Trump committed two crimes:
- Providing false information (which counts as a misdemeanor)
- Violating Campaign Finance Laws (a Crime)
New York City Attorney for the Borough of Manhattan Alvin Bragg has not confirmed that he plans to formally indict Trump.
The strongest indication that this could happen was the former president’s announcement on Saturday, but there are others:
- In the US, prosecutors can submit witnesses and evidence to a panel made up of citizens, known as the grand jury, which decides whether charges are merited.
- Last week, Daniels worked with the grand jury in this case. Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen, who admitted paying money to Daniels and said he was repaid soon, also testified before the panel.
Trump was also invited to give a speech, but declined.
“Prosecutors almost never invite the person being investigated to testify before the grand jury unless they plan to indict that person,” said Bennett Gershman, a Pace University law professor and former prosecutor.
Fingerprints yes, handcuffs unlikely
An indictment against Trump would set in motion a process that could take several months. If there is an indictment, the next step will be jury selection.
In the short term, that would trigger several steps, including deciding how they could be arrested or more likely turned over to authorities, given the charges are nonviolent and Trump is a former president.
“This is unprecedented and there is no set procedure,” said former US Secret Service agent Robert McDonald, now a professor of criminal justice at the University of New Haven.
According to the expert, the secret service, which is responsible for protecting high dignitaries, will coordinate with Bragg’s office so that Trump appears in court without his arrival becoming a “spectacle”.
In other words, he will not walk out the front door of the courthouse in handcuffs, McDonald said.
On Saturday (18th), former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti tweeted that he hoped Trump would “voluntarily appear in court, be fingerprinted and registered and released on bail”.
Given Trump’s notoriety and ongoing candidacy for the 2024 presidential election (he has already started his prerun), it is likely that the judge will not classify the former president as a flight risk and Trump can then leave, possibly on bail.
“I expect it won’t be held up overnight,” McDonald said.
However, some believe the former president may refuse to turn himself in and resist the Manhattan District Attorney stopping him.
“You could imagine Trump wanting to do that,” former prosecutor Shan Wu said. “That’s something Bragg’s office would fear.”
What are the safety precautions
Authorities are on high alert after Trump urged his supporters on Saturday to protest a possible charge against him. There was already an episode of violence on January 6, 2021, when proTrump protesters, encouraged by thenPresident, rushed into the headquarters of the US Congress building to stop confirmation of the victory of his opponent, current President Joe Biden .
Now, security forces, from the federal FBI to the New York City police at the state level, have been coordinating since last week to formally indict the former president to avoid possible unrest, CNN and NBC reported, citing anonymous sources.
Mobilize proTrump groups
ProTrump groups are already mobilizing. The New York Republican Club sponsored a “peaceful protest for Alvin Bragg’s atrocious attack” on Monday in Manhattan, where the court is located, against Trump.
Although authorities have not said they expect violence near the courthouse, CNN quoted unnamed sources as saying security forces are considering the possibility of demonstrations by Trump supporters and opponents with the risk of confrontations.
The Washington Police Department, scene of the Capitol riots two years ago, said Sunday it was “not aware of any” protests in the capital related to Trump’s possible indictment.