The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in New York has offered former U.S. President Donald Trump to testify in a case of alleged bribery of porn actress Stormy Daniels to buy her silence about an extramarital affair, which could be an indication that there is a high probability that the New York mogul will be charged.
Thus, prosecutors have given Trump the possibility of testifying next week before a grand jury as the idea of criminal charges being levied against him in connection with this case materializes.
Experts consulted by ‘The New York Times’ assure that usually these types of subpoenas occur before a formal indictment is filed. In the state of New York, potential defendants have the right to answer questions from a grand jury before charges are brought, although Trump is likely to reject the offer.
In addition, his lawyers are counting on the possibility of meeting behind closed doors with prosecutors. If successful, Trump would become the first former U.S. president to be indicted and could see his 2024 presidential run thwarted.
Trump has faced a battery of investigations in recent years, but so far no criminal charges have been filed against him. Thus, New York District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, a Democrat, could become the first to indict Trump – although he may not be the last.
Daniels has acknowledged in the past that she had relations with Trump during a charity golf tournament held in July 2006 in Nevada and subsequently said she was bound to remain silent due to a confidentiality agreement that included the payment of $130,000, an amount she allegedly received during the final days of the 2016 presidential election campaign.
The payment came to light in mid-January 2018, when ‘The Wall Street Journal’ reported that Michael D. Cohen, lawyer for the Trump Organization for almost a decade, managed in October 2016 a payment to the actress to keep silent, although he insisted on several occasions that the money came out of his pocket.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
