US prepares to indict Trump over payments to porn star Stormy Daniels – CNBC

U.S. law enforcement is preparing to indict former U.S. President Donald Trump next week for paying money to silence porn star Stormy Daniels.

It is reported by CNBC.

“Legal observers expect he will be indicted based primarily on the fact that a grand jury has been called in, and that prosecutors recently offered Trump the opportunity to testify,” the statement said.

Recall that on March 10, the District Attorney’s Office in New York called former US President Donald Trump to testify in the case of payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels, which almost inevitably means bringing criminal charges against the former leader of the United States.

Trump himself commented on the summons to the prosecutor’s office and called it a “witch hunt” and an attempt to remove “the leading candidate from the Republican Party.”

Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, became the subject of public attention in 2018. Then The Wall Street Journal, citing a source, wrote that shortly before Trump’s candidacy in the presidential election, his lawyer Michael Cohen paid the actress $130,000 as part of a non-disclosure agreement about her relationship with the president. The White House denied this information.

According to the publication, federal charges may be based on the fact that Trump’s company “falsely counted” Cohen’s monthly payments as legal expenses. In addition, the prosecutor’s office can reclassify the case as a violation of New York state election laws. Prosecutors may argue that the $130,000 payment effectively became an improper campaign contribution because it “benefited” the Trump campaign.