Some observers believe an impeachment bodes ill for Donald Trump’s 2024 chances.
New York:
The drama surrounding Donald Trump’s possible indictment over money secretly paid to a porn star took a new turn on Wednesday after a New York grand jury failed to convene as expected – returning a verdict, possibly next week. In.
There has been speculation that a historic indictment of a former president may be imminent ever since Trump himself announced that he was expecting to be arrested.
But Wednesday’s grand jury session was called off, unnamed law enforcement officials told multiple US outlets, without giving a reason. The New York Times reported that such interruptions are not unusual.
With barricades outside Trump Tower and police on high alert, New York has been holding its breath over the expected indictment for several days – tensions peaked on Tuesday, the day Trump said he would be arrested. He was not.
The jury panel usually also meets on Thursdays, but Insider, which broke the news of the canceled meeting, quoted a source as saying that it may not reassemble this week, meaning that at the earliest A decision could come on Monday.
The 76-year-old Republican would become the first former or current president to ever be charged with a crime if the panel ultimately votes to indict.
The unprecedented move will send shockwaves through the 2024 re-election campaign, with Trump running to regain office.
It will also increase the likelihood of a former leader of the free world being arrested, booked, fingerprinted and possibly handcuffed.
The Times has reported that Trump supports the idea of being paraded in front of cameras by law enforcement, known as a pep walk. Prosecutor Alvin Bragg likely wants to avoid any spectacle that could bolster Trump’s base.
Bragg convened the grand jury — a civilian panel tasked with deciding whether to respond — in January after an investigation into $130,000 paid to Stormy Daniels in 2016.
Grand juries work behind closed doors to prevent perjury or witness tampering before trial, making their proceedings nearly impossible to follow.
A spokeswoman for Bragg told AFP she could not comment “on grand jury cases”.
Even once the panel makes a decision, it is unclear when Bragg will announce any charges.
Legal experts have suggested it could be some time before Trump, currently at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, is arraigned before a Manhattan Criminal Court judge.
The payment to Daniels was made weeks before the 2016 election, allegedly to prevent her from going public about a liaison she had with Trump years earlier.
Trump denied the affair and called the investigation a “witch hunt”.
– Trump calls for protests –
Trump’s ex-lawyer-rival Michael Cohen, who has testified before a grand jury, says he made the payments on behalf of his boss and was later reimbursed.
Experts say that if not properly accounted for, payments can result in misappropriation to falsify business records.
If the false accounting was intended to cover up another crime, such as a campaign finance violation, which is punishable by up to four years behind bars, it could be raised as a felony.
Analysts say the argument has not been tested and would be difficult to prove in court. Any jail time is far from certain.
An indictment will begin a lengthy process that could last several months, if not longer. The case will face a mountain of legal issues as it moves toward jury selection and creates security headaches for the Secret Service agents protecting Trump.
Trump has called for demonstrations, fueling fears of unrest similar to the riot at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, but so far protests have been small and muted.
The New York Police have set up barricades outside the courthouse and Trump Tower.
Trump is facing multiple criminal investigations at the state and federal level over possible wrongdoings that threaten his new term in the White House, many more serious than the Manhattan case.
These include his efforts to reverse his 2020 election loss in the state of Georgia, his handling of classified documents, and his possible involvement in the January 6 riots.
Some observers believe an impeachment is bad for Trump’s 2024 chances, while others say it could boost his support.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)