The extraordinary move by a New York jury to charge former President Donald Trump signals the beginning of what is likely to be a long court battle between Trump’s lawyers and the prosecution.
On Thursday, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced the accusation and stated that it was working with Trump’s legal counsel to arrange for his arrest. The grand jury is already looking into a payout that Trump’s attorney delivered to adult film star Stormy Daniels previous to the 2016 election, but the specifics of the accusation or accusations are still secret. In response, Daniels decided to remain silent on an affair she claimed to have had with Trump in 2006.
In a press release published Thursday, the former president rejected any contact with Daniels and referred to the charge as “political extortion and election involvement at the peak point in history.”
The grand jury’s choice of prosecuting Trump is the result of a careful inquiry into an accused conspiracy that initially appeared years ago, while Trump continued to be president. The upcoming legal struggle brought on by Trump’s arrest is occurring as he prepares to launch a third presidential campaign in 2024.
