The Manhattan grand jury weighing criminal charges against former President Trump in connection with the 2016 hush money payment to pornographic film star Stormy Daniels was expected to reconvene on Monday.
Jurors were expected to hear from another witness Monday, although it was not immediately clear who that would be, according to media reports.
The jury’s agenda for the week also remained unclear. Prosecutors could call other witnesses or present formal charges, which would be the last step before jurors decide whether to indict.
Mr. Trump and some legal analysts had predicted an indictment last week. But Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Wednesday canceled grand jury hearings for last week, delaying a possible indictment.
Grand jury deliberations are secret, so it’s not known why the grand jury was canceled or what Mr. Bragg’s timeframe is for the case.
Some media outlets said Mr. Bragg canceled the hearings amid dissension in his office over bringing charges against the former president. A spokesperson for Mr. Bragg’s office declined to comment on the speculation.
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The possible charges stem from a $130,000 hush-money payment by Mr. Trump’s attorney, Michael Cohen, made to Ms. Daniels in the weeks leading up to the 2016 presidential election.
The payment was made in exchange for Ms. Daniels’ silence about an affair she says she had with Mr. Trump in 2006. Mr. Trump has denied the affair but said he was aware of the payment.
Mr. Cohen said Mr. Trump’s company reimbursed him for the payments but logged the funds as “legal expenses.”
Prosecutors are said to be weighing whether logging the payments as “legal expenses” violates a New York law against falsifying business records. The charge is a misdemeanor but can be upgraded to a felony if records were falsified to cover up a second crime. A felony conviction can carry up to four years in prison.
Source:Washington Times
