Former US President Trump Indicted by Manhattan Grand Jury

Former US President Donald Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury. With this Trump becomes the first US President in US history to serve as commander-in-chief and then be indicted in a criminal case. The specific charge or charges against him are not publicly known yet. The grand jury of Manhattan was hearing evidence about hush money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016, the US news reports said.

It was probed whether Trump falsified business records related to the payments in a manner that could make a campaign finance violation, reported The Washington Post.

Susan Necheles and Joseph Tacopina, the lawyers who have been representing Trump in the case, in a statement, said that their client was indicted. They further said, “He did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in Court,” according to The Washington Post report.

Trump has repeatedly denied all wrongdoing and stressed that those probing him were making politically motivated accusations.

An arrest warrant is typically issued automatically after an indictment is filed against a defendant who has not been charged previously in a criminal complaint.

The allegation against Trump focused on USD 130,000 paid by Trump’s former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, who has said he fronted the money involved in the Stormy Daniels transactions to ensure her silence ahead of the election in 2016, reported by The Washington Post.

The money was later reimbursed by Trump, as per the news report.