(MENAFN) Nine days after announcing that he was about to be arrested over a hush-money payment to a porn star, former US President Donald Trump has not yet been arrested, but legal analysts expect him to be read his Miranda rights any day now. The investigation centers on a $130,000 payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels weeks before the 2016 election to stop her from going public about a sexual encounter she says she had with Trump a decade earlier.
Trump's ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen, who has testified before the grand jury, made the payment on Trump's behalf and was later reimbursed. Prosecutors say the checks were not properly registered and this might result in a misdemeanor charge of falsifying business records. However, the charge could be upgraded to a felony if the district attorney can persuade the grand jury that the payment and the suspect accounting were part of a cover-up, intended to benefit Trump's election campaign by burying the scandal.
The grand jury reconvened on Monday in Manhattan, where they reportedly heard from the former publisher of the National Enquirer, a central player in the hush money payment scheme. Trump, who is running again for the White House, had bad information or was simply guessing about being brought before a New York judge in three days, which turned out to be false. His equally baseless claim a week later that the case had been dropped altogether was greeted with due incredulity.
The investigation into the hush-money payment scheme has sent newsrooms in the United States and beyond into a spin, with the world eagerly awaiting the possibility of one of the most famous police mugshots in history. While prosecutors may not be marching to Trump's tune, the investigation has reignited debates about the power and accountability of those in positions of authority.
MENAFN28032023000045012476ID1105878679
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.