Donald Trump indictment: The former US president will be charged with hush money

Former US President Donald Trump will face charges in connection with hush money payments made to a porn star shortly before the 2016 presidential election.

The specifics of the case against him have not yet been made public.

After investigating a $130,000 pay-out to Stormy Daniels in an attempt to buy her silence about an alleged affair, a grand jury voted to indict him.

Mr. Trump, 76, has denied any wrongdoing. He is the first sitting or former president of the United States to face criminal charges.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which has been leading the investigation, confirmed that it had contacted Mr Trump’s attorney to “coordinate his surrender” on unspecified charges.

The former president, who lives in Florida, is expected to fly to New York on Monday and be arraigned in court on Tuesday, according to CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.

At the hearing, which is expected to last about 10-15 minutes, the charges in the indictment will be read to him.

The US Secret Service, which is in charge of protecting current and former US presidents, will be in charge of security for the court appearance.

Stormy Daniels, an adult film star, contacted media outlets in 2016 and offered to sell her account of what she claimed was an adulterous affair she had with Donald Trump in 2006, the year after he married his current wife, Melania.

Mr Trump’s team learned of this, and his lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid Ms Daniels $130,000 to remain silent. This is not against the law.

However, when Mr. Trump reimbursed his lawyer, the payment was recorded as being for legal fees. Prosecutors claim that Mr Trump falsified business records, which is a misdemeanor – a criminal offense – in New York.

Prosecutors may also allege that he violated election law by attempting to conceal his payments to Ms Daniels because he did not want voters to know he was having an affair with her.

Falsifying records to conceal a crime is a felony, which is a more serious charge. Even prosecution supporters admit that this is far from a straightforward case.

There is little precedent for such a prosecution, and previous attempts to charge politicians with blurring the line between campaign finance and personal spending failed.

Mr Trump, like all defendants in criminal cases, will now have his fingerprints taken and a mugshot taken.

Mr Trump slammed the Manhattan district attorney in a statement. He referred to the prosecutor as a “disgrace,” accusing him of “doing Joe Biden’s dirty work.”

“In their obsession with trying to ‘Get Trump,’ the Democrats have lied, cheated, and stolen, but now they’ve done the unthinkable – indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference,” he said.

Mr. Trump has repeatedly referred to the investigation in his hometown of New York as a political “witch hunt” orchestrated by his opponents.

Mr. Bragg, a Democrat, has denied pursuing a political vendetta against Mr. Trump. “In our jurisdiction, we evaluate cases based on the facts, the law, and the evidence,” he tweeted earlier this month.

Susan Necheles, Mr Trump’s lawyer, said in a statement, “He did not commit any crime, and we will vigorously fight this political prosecution in court.”

Ms Daniels thanked her supporters after the indictment. “I’m getting so many messages that I can’t respond… and I don’t want to spill my champagne,” she tweeted.

The criminal case could influence the presidential election in 2024. Mr. Trump is currently the front-runner among all declared and potential Republican presidential candidates.

However, nothing in US law prevents a candidate convicted of a crime from campaigning for and serving as president – even from prison.

On Thursday evening, his campaign used the indictment to send out fundraising emails.

Top Republican lawmakers are rallying behind Mr. Trump.

Kevin McCarthy, the Speaker of the House, stated: “Alvin Bragg’s attempt to meddle in our presidential election has irreparably harmed our country.

“By routinely releasing violent criminals to terrorize the public, he has weaponized our sacred judicial system against President Donald Trump.”

Democrats, on the other hand, welcomed the indictment, arguing that it demonstrated that no one was above the law.

Rep. Adam Schiff stated: “The indictment and arrest of a former president is unprecedented in American history.

“However, so is the illegal conduct for which Trump has been charged.”

Mr. Trump is also being investigated in a number of other matters.

They include investigations into his role in the January 2021 US Capitol riot, his efforts to overturn his loss in Georgia in the 2020 election, and his handling of classified documents after leaving office.

Mr Trump, who was president from 2017 to 21, was impeached twice by the House of Representatives. The Senate acquitted him both times.