Trump jury fails to meet, delaying decision over indictment
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Mr Donald Trump, 76, would become the first former or sitting US president to be charged with a crime if the panel votes to indict him over hush money paid to a porn star.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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NEW YORK – A New York grand jury would not meet after all on Wednesday, the US media reported, delaying a decision on whether to charge former president Donald Trump over hush money paid to a porn star.
The panel, which operates in secret, usually gathers on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, leading to speculation that a vote on a historic indictment of a former president was imminent.
Wednesday’s session was called off, however, unnamed law enforcement officials told multiple US news outlets without giving a reason for the pause. The New York Times reported that interruptions in grand jury proceedings are not unusual.
Insider, which broke the news of the cancelled meeting, quoted one source as saying the panel may not gather again this week, meaning that the earliest a decision might come is next Monday.
With barricades outside Trump Tower and the police on high alert, New York has been holding its breath over the expected indictment
The 76-year-old Republican would become the first former or sitting president to be charged with a crime if the panel votes to indict.
The unprecedented move would send shockwaves
It would also raise the prospect of a former leader of the free world being arrested, booked, fingerprinted and possibly handcuffed.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg formed the grand jury in January after his investigation into US$130,000 paid to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016.
Grand juries operate behind closed doors to prevent perjury or witness tampering before trials, making it virtually impossible to follow their proceedings.
A spokesman for Mr Bragg told AFP that she “can’t confirm or comment on grand jury matters”.
Even when the panel makes a decision, it is unclear when Mr Bragg would announce any charges.
Legal experts have suggested it could take some time before Mr Trump – now at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida – is arraigned before a Manhattan Criminal Court judge.
Anti-Trump demonstrators protesting outside the Manhattan District Attorney’s office in New York City on March 22, 2023.
PHOTO: AFP
The hush-money payment was made weeks before the 2016 election, allegedly to stop Ms Daniels from going public about a liaison she says she had with Mr Trump years earlier.
Mr Trump denies the affair and has called the inquiry a “witch hunt”.
Trump calls for protests
His former lawyer turned adversary, Mr Michael Cohen, who has testified before the grand jury, told Congress in 2019 that he made the payment on Mr Trump’s behalf and was later reimbursed.
The payment to Ms Daniels, if not properly accounted for, could result in a misdemeanour charge for falsifying business records, experts say.
That might be raised to a felony if the false accounting was intended to cover up a second crime, such as a campaign finance violation, which is punishable by up to four years behind bars.
Analysts say that argument is untested and would be difficult to prove in court, and any jail time is far from certain.
An indictment would begin a lengthy process that could last several months, if not more. The case would face a mountain of legal issues as it moves towards jury selection and pose a security headache for Secret Service agents who protect Mr Trump.
A US$130,000 (S$172,700) payment was allegedly made to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, to buy her silence over an alleged liaison with Mr Donald Trump.
PHOTO: AFP
Mr Trump has called for massive demonstrations if he is charged, fuelling fears of unrest similar to the Jan 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol, but protests have been small and muted so far.
New York police have erected barricades outside the courthouse and Trump Tower.
Mr Trump is facing several criminal investigations at the state and federal levels over possible wrongdoing that threaten his new run at the White House, many more serious than the Manhattan case.
They include his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state of Georgia, his handling of classified documents, and his possible involvement in the Jan 6 rioting.
Some observers believe an indictment bodes ill for Mr Trump’s 2024 chances, while others say it could boost his support. AFP
