The legal battles against former President Donald Trump are far from over. New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg is taking the lead in the latest move to potentially indict the former president.
This week, Bragg’s office has escalated the fight by empaneling a grand jury and presenting witnesses. Legal experts and a former colleague of Bragg’s suggest the actions indicate prosecutors are edging closer to possible charges against Trump.
The controversy surrounding Trump and adult film star Stormy Daniels began when Trump’s longtime personal attorney, Michael Cohen, made a $130,000 payment to Daniels in October 2016 to stop her from publicly alleging she had an affair with Trump. Trump has denied the affair.
Bragg could attempt to bring state charges of falsifying business records against the former president if prosecutors can show that Trump, with an intent to defraud, was personally involved in unlawfully designating Cohen’s reimbursements a legal expense. This misdemeanor would carry up to a year in jail, but a felony version of the crime could carry up to four years.
The grand jury could end without bringing any charges, as did one earlier in the investigation. However, the recent actions of Bragg’s office suggest the investigation is far from over.
Cohen said on Wednesday that he recently spoke to Bragg’s office and provided his cellphone, describing it as a “reinvigorated” investigation. If the case gets to the merits, proving either charge could also heavily rely on the testimony of Cohen, a convicted felon.
The legal battles against Trump are far from over. Bragg’s latest move suggests Trump could become the first former president to face an indictment. From the hush payment to the mishandling of classified records at Mar-a-Lago, the former president is facing multiple legal battles.
It’s not yet clear what will come of Bragg’s investigation, but one thing is certain: the legal drama surrounding Donald Trump is far from over.
Source: thehill.com