The New York Prosecutor’s Office has invited former US President Donald Trump to testify next week before a grand jury for the alleged payment to a porn actress to keep her silence, in a case for which he could be charged with criminal charges, according to report “The New York Times” and “The Washington Post”.
The grand jury notification, which offers Trump the opportunity to appear in the process, could mean that the state attorney’s investigation is coming to an end, according to these media.
Invitations like the one extended to Trump almost always indicate impeachment is near. It would be unusual for the district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, that handles the case, notify a possible defendant without finally filing charges against him, said “The New York Times.”
The newspaper, citing sources familiar with the case, noted that the Manhattan prosecutor’s office recently told Trump’s lawyers that he could face criminal charges for his role in paying money to porn star Stormy Daniels to maintain her silence.
In New York courts, potential defendants have the right to answer grand jury questions before being indicted, but they rarely testify and Trump is likely to reject the offer.
His lawyers may also have the option of meeting privately with prosecutors in the hopes of preventing criminal charges from being filed against the former president.
This case would mark the first indictment for the former US president and could upend the 2024 presidential race, in which Trump remains one of the top Republican contenders.
Trump has faced a series of criminal investigations and special counsel consultations over the years but has never been charged with a crime, underscoring the seriousness of the investigation by Bragg, who could be the first prosecutor to indict him. , but not the last, remember the newspaper.
The Manhattan investigation, which has spanned nearly five years, centers on an alleged payment of $130,000 to the porn star stormy danielswho said she had an affair with Trump.
The payment was made in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign by Michael Cohen, a lawyer and former Trump spokesman, who was later reimbursed for that amount.
Cohen, who has long said Trump ordered him to pay off Daniels to keep quiet, is expected to testify before the grand jury, but has not yet done so.
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