Sources familiar with the matter disclosed that Donald Trump, the former President, is currently facing nearly 30 charges related to document fraud in New York City.
A Charge for Each Payment
This comes after a grand jury voted to indict him on Thursday. The exact nature of the charges remains unknown, as the indictment is still under seal, pending his arraignment on Tuesday. However, it is probable that the high number of charges is due to prosecutors filing individual charges for each payment in question.
It is up to Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, to decide whether to unseal the indictment earlier, but it appears that he will follow standard procedure and wait until Trump's court appearance.
One of several ongoing investigations into former President Donald Trump concerns hush money payments he made to two women who allegedly had affairs with him before the 2016 campaign, including Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress.
Suspicious Activity
Back in 2018, Michael Cohen, a former attorney for Trump, pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance laws. He acknowledged paying two women, at Trump's direction, $130,000 and $150,000 to keep quiet about alleged affairs with Trump before the 2016 election. Court documents indicate that the payments were made to influence the outcome of the election. These payments matched the amounts given to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal.
McDougal claimed she had an affair with Trump while he was married to Melania, but he denied it. The National Enquirer, a tabloid with close ties to Trump, purchased the rights to her story but never published it as part of a “catch-and-kill” scheme to shield Trump.
Pleading Not Guilty
Trump has denied the affair but confirmed the payments. Prosecutors questioned witnesses about another alleged hush money payment made to Karen McDougal, a former Playboy playmate, according to two insiders familiar with the Manhattan grand jury's proceedings.
Cohen, now the government's primary witness, will likely testify that Trump falsified business records to cover up the payments, which prosecutors contend were illegal campaign expenditures. Trump maintains that the payments were legal expenses and he has done nothing wrong, suggesting that the prosecution is a politically motivated witch hunt.
Trump's attorney, Joe Tacopino, announced on NBC's “TODAY” show that his client has no intention of accepting a plea deal and expects to be exonerated either before or during the trial. Tacopino argued that there was no crime committed, and they are facing substantial legal challenges, implying that the case may not even make it to trial.
Potential Bias
Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over the grand jury that indicted the former president this week, is not new to Trump. The 60-year-old judge has been a part of the New York bench since 2009 and oversaw Trump's real estate company's trial and the prosecution of its long-serving chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, which ended in a conviction in December.
In response to the indictment, Trump took to social media, accusing Merchan of having a bias against him, stating that the judge “HATES ME.” According to the former president, Merchan “railroaded” Weisselberg into taking a plea deal and “strong-armed” him.
Trump also complained about the way his companies were treated, which he claims were “VICIOUSLY” handled. Trump is the first former president ever charged with a crime. He plans to appeal the decision and appears to be preparing for a legal battle in the coming months.
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.