Several US media reported on Wednesday that the indictment grand jury in New York could only deal with the case again at the end of April. Accordingly, a longer break in the regular meetings of the lay committee around Easter had been planned for some time.
The news channel CNN, citing informed circles, reported that the break would begin on April 5. The “Washington Post” wrote that the grand jury will deal with other cases early next week, but with the Trump case on April 24 at the earliest.
The deliberations of the grand jury are secret. The body consists of a total of 23 citizens, of whom at least 16 must be present at meetings. At the meetings, Manhattan’s chief attorney Alvin Bragg’s team presents the evidence to the grand jury, and witnesses may be questioned.
120,000 euros hush money for porn star?
The investigation is about a hush money payment of $ 130,000 (around 120,000 euros) to the porn actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. The porn star, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, claims to have had a sex affair with Trump in 2006, what this denies. The payment itself is not illegal, but the ex-president could face charges of forging business documents or illegal campaign finance.
Trump himself said on March 18 that he should be arrested three days later and called on his supporters to protest. Previously, the signs of a possible indictment had condensed. However, the arrest announced by Trump did not take place, and the 76-year-old Republican has still not been charged.
Trump would be the first former US president in history to face impeachment. The right-wing populist, who wants to run again in the 2024 presidential elections, denies all allegations and describes the investigation as a politically motivated “witch hunt”.
