Donald Trump indicted on criminal charges in connection with hush money payments

nme.com:

Donald Trump on criminal charges. While the exact charges are not yet known, they relate to hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels shortly prior to the 2016 US federal election.The indictment, which follows an investigation led by Democratic Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, makes Trump the first former US president to face criminal charges.

The New York Times reports that the district attorney’s office has confirmed both the indictment and that prosecutors had been in contact with Trump’s lawyer to facilitate his surrender and arraignment.In a statement shared by Trump via his own Truth Social platform, the former president called the indictment “political persecution and election interference at the highest level in history”.

He described it as part of a “witch-hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement”.Trump went on to accuse the Democratic Party of “indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant election interference” and “weaponizing our justice system to punish a political opponent”.Trump’s lawyers also made a brief statement denying any charges. “President Trump has been indicted,” wrote Susan Necheles and Joe Tacopina in a statement. “He did not commit any crime.

We will vigorously defend this political prosecution in Court.”Trump had been aware that the indictment was on the way after Bragg’s office gave him the option to testify before the grand jury.