Jury at New York decided to prosecute the former president Donald Trump on the case of paying $130.000 to buy the silence of the porn star Stormy Danielshortly before his 2016 election victory, the New York Times reveals.
It is the first time in US history that a former president has been criminally prosecuted.
Former US President Donald Trump is expected to voluntarily surrender to a New York court to face charges on Tuesday, April 4, his lawyer said, according to the New York Times.
Manhattan District Attorney's Office Contacted Trump's Lawyer to Arrange His "Surrender" to Justice
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office announced Thursday night that it had contacted a lawyer for former US President Donald Trump to arrange his "surrender" to a New York court, making it official that he had indeed been charged in connection with the case. payment to porn stars in 2016.
"We have contacted an attorney for Mr. Trump this evening to coordinate his surrender before the Manhattan District Attorney (a.k.a. Alvin Bragg) for arraignment" in New York, a prosecutor's spokesman said in a laconic statement after the criminal prosecution following a jury vote.
The indictment remains "sealed" for the time being and a hearing date has not yet been set, the statement added.
Trump's first reaction
Former US President Donald Trump has vehemently opposed the criminal prosecution against him by the justice system in New York, which he sees as "political persecution", "witch hunt" and "meddling in the 2024 election", in which he hopes to "recapture" the White House.
"This is political persecution and meddling in elections at the highest level in history," the 45th US president said in a statement, predicting that this case will end "at the expense of Joe Biden", his successor and potential opponent in the upcoming elections. presidential elections.
The charges, which emerged from the investigation under Democratic Manhattan U.S. Attorney Alvin Bragg, could reshape the 2024 presidential race.
Mr. Trump had already made it clear days ago that he would continue his campaign to secure the Republican nomination to be the party's nominee in the election even if he were to face criminal charges.
Kevin McCarthy: Criminal prosecution of Trump "irreparably damages" the US
The decision to prosecute former US President Donald Trump "irreparably damages" the US, the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, complained on Thursday.
"The American people are not going to tolerate this injustice," discounted the baron of the opposition party, declaring that the House will make sure that the Democratic and African-American prosecutor Alvin Bragg is "accountable" for this "unprecedented abuse of power."
Generally, prosecution is decided by a jury and not by a prosecutor.
Ron DeSandis: Trump's criminal prosecution 'goes against America's values'
Criminal prosecution of Donald Trump is "contrary to America's values," his inner-party rival Ron DeSandis argued Thursday, criticizing the instrumentalization (the "weaponization," as he called it) "of the rule of law " in the country.
Florida's Republican governor, who is openly flirting with the possibility of running for president in 2024, also said via Twitter that he would not grant an "extradition request" for the former president, who lives in his state.
Source: RES-EAP