NEW YORK, March 31. /TASS/. A New York grand jury has voted to indict former US president Donald Trump as part of a case into falsifying business records of his company, the Trump Organization.
He will be the first US leader, former or acting, to face criminal charges. However, this fact will not prevent him from being nominated to the post of the US president in 2024.
The grand jury convened behind closed doors, and the news came from anonymous sources. However, it was de-facto confirmed by the politician himself, his lawyer Joe Tacopina and the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
Charges
The text of the indictment remains under seal. The grand jury convened to look into reports of Trump’s alleged involvement in a scheme, in which the former president’s onetime lawyer Michael Cohen paid $130,000 in hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016, when Trump was in the midst of his presidential campaign. The purported payment was intended to stop Daniels from spreading allegations of having relationship with Trump in 2006. The Manhattan district attorney’s office believes that the funds were reimbursed by the Trump Organization, and its financial records have been falsified to conceal this fact.
In New York, falsifying business records is treated as a misdemeanor, and is normally not punished with a jail term. However, if a grand jury decides that the falsification was carried out with intent to commit or conceal a second crime, Trump may face up to four years behind bars.
The details of the grand jury’s decision are yet unknown. According to CNN sources, the ex-president is facing more than 30 counts related to business fraud. More details are expected to be known from the indictment.
Arraignment
After the charges are filed, a suspect is to be brought before the court to be arraigned. According to sources, Trump may appear in the courtroom next Tuesday, April 4.
In line with the procedure, a suspect is to be handcuffed, photographed for his mugshot and his fingerprints are to be taken before appearing in court. However, Trump probably won’t be paraded in cuffs, because Secret Service officers who guard him may oppose this.
Trump resides in Florida and may not obey a New York court ruling. In this case, an extradition procedure will be launched. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said his state will not assist in the extradition request. However, according to the US Constitution, no state has the right to decline an extradition request from another state.
For the time being, no one expects Trump to be placed in pretrial custody. The ex-president said he was innocent on many occasions, and is most likely to formally declare the same thing in the courtroom. After that, he will be able to walk free, or, at the worst, be released on bail. Then the date of the next court session will be set.
Political career implications
Indictment and even conviction will not make Trump ineligible for the 2024 presidential election. The US Constitution contains no provisions on the matter. So far, no candidates to the post ever had a history of charges or conviction.
The charges may even play into the hand of Trump. His office has already issued a fundraising missive calling for donations.