Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a grand jury in Manhattan following an investigation into $130,000 payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged affair.
According to Stormy Daniels, she had a sexual encounter with then-married Trump in 2006, an allegation that the former president has denied. Trump has categorized his reimbursement of the payment made to Daniels as legal expenses.
This makes Trump the first former president in US history to face criminal charges. The New York Times reported the story on Thursday afternoon. Officials who are familiar with the matter have confirmed that a grand jury in New York has voted to indict former President.
Former President Trump responded immediately to news of his indictment, stating that “the Democrats have lied, cheated, and stolen in their obsession with trying to ‘Get Trump.'” He went on to characterize the indictment as an “unthinkable” act of “blatant election interference,” and maintained that he is “completely innocent.”
In a lengthy statement, Trump denounced the indictment as a “political witch-hunt” aimed at taking down the “leading candidate, by far, in the Republican Party.” He further maintained his innocence and vowed to fight the charges, calling the indictment a “continuation of the greatest political and legal witch-hunt in the history of the United States.”
Joe Tacopina, a lawyer for Trump, confirmed the indictment, but stated that his client did not commit any crime and intends to fight the charges in court.
This story is still developing. Please stay tuned for further updates as more information becomes available.
