(New York) After keeping the United States in suspense for ten days, the hypothetical criminal indictment of Donald Trump in a case of buying the silence of a pornographic actress should not occur before the end of April, reports the press on Wednesday.
The former tenant of the White House, who dreams of “reclaiming” it in 2024, must answer before the justice of the State of New York and his attorney for Manhattan, Alvin Bragg, for a payment of 130,000 dollars to actress and director of pornographic films Stormy Daniels.
While the press was buzzing with rumors in early March of a possible indictment, Donald Trump had pulled off a political coup on March 18 by claiming without the slightest evidence on his social network Truth Social that he would be “arrested” and appear before a New York court three days later to be charged.
But nothing happened.
And the country waited 10 days for this indictment which would be unprecedented against a former American president.
The Washington PostPolitician et al New York Daily News say on Wednesday, citing sources close to the case, that justice should not decide before April 24.
Since March 20, a grand jury – a panel of citizens with investigative powers that works alongside prosecutors and votes on indictments – has only met twice and no further calls are scheduled.
The Manhattan prosecutor’s office assures us every day that it “cannot comment on matters related to the grand jury”.
PHOTO MARY ALTAFFER, ARCHIVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
Stephanie Clifford, alias Stormy Daniels, en 2018
For his part, Donald Trump, who denies “any crime” and any connection with Stormy Daniels, had estimated Sunday and Monday that the investigation was “dead”, a “fraud” and “electoral interference” orchestrated by “thugs” before the 2024 presidential election.
For years, justice has sought to determine whether the 76-year-old former Republican president was guilty of misrepresentation, a minor offense, or breach of campaign finance laws, a criminal offense, by having paid money to porn actress Stormy Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, just before her November 2016 presidential victory.
What purpose ? So that she keeps quiet about a supposed extramarital affair 10 years earlier.
Accused by Mr. Trump of being an “animal” and a “racist” and by Republicans of having a “political motive”, Prosecutor Bragg, an elected African-American Democrat, replied that the billionaire had “created a false expectation” media on his indictment and denounced an “interference” in the investigation.
