Former President Donald Trump has been indicted as part of the Manhattan District Attorney’s years-long investigation into hush money payments made leading up to the 2016 presidential election. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has been investigating payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, both of whom alleged affairs with Trump.
The payments to both McDougal and Daniels were revealed and reported by Fox News in 2018. At the time, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York and the Federal Election Commission investigated the payments. However, federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York decided not to charge Trump related to the Stormy Daniels payment in 2019, despite Cohen implicating him in his plea deal. The Federal Election Commission also dropped its investigation into the matter in 2021.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, however, continued to investigate the payments, and on Thursday, a spokesperson for the office announced that they had contacted Trump’s attorney to coordinate his surrender for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal. The charges against Trump likely relate to the hush money payments made to Daniels and McDougal.
Trump has responded to the indictment by slamming Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for his “obsession” with trying to “get Trump,” and warning that charging a former president of the United States will “backfire.” He has also accused the Democrats of “weaponizing” the justice system to punish a political opponent.
Trump attorney Alina Habba has claimed that Trump “is a victim of a corrupt and distorted version of the American justice system and history” and that he will be vindicated. Meanwhile, Bragg has been criticized for suspending the investigation indefinitely and raising doubts about pursuing charges against Trump.
The charges against Trump come amid a separate special counsel investigation into his alleged improper retention of classified records from his presidency at his Mar-a-Lago home. In August 2021, the FBI raided Trump’s private residence at Mar-a-Lago in connection with an investigation into classified records the former president allegedly took with him from the White House. Attorney General Merrick Garland later appointed Jack Smith as special counsel to take over that investigation, and the Justice Department’s investigation into the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
Trump’s indictment also comes while New York Attorney General Letitia James continues her years-long civil investigation into the Trump Organization to find out whether Trump and his company improperly inflated the value of assets on financial statements to obtain loans and tax benefits.
The charges against Trump highlight the importance of holding elected officials accountable for their actions, regardless of their status or political affiliations. As the investigation continues, it is essential to ensure that justice is served and that the rule of law is upheld.
