Former President Trump has been indicted by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for allegedly falsifying his business records in connection with a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels for crimes.
The charges stem from the $130,000 hush money payment made by then-Trump attorney Michael Cohen to adult film star Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, in the weeks leading up to the 2016 presidential election in exchange for her silence charged an allegation of sexual encounters with Trump in 2006.
Bragg accused Trump of forging business records related to Daniels’ hush money payment.
The indictment comes after federal prosecutors with the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York decided against indicting Trump in connection with paying Stormy Daniels in 2019, even though Cohen implicated him as part of his plea deal.
The Federal Electoral Commission also closed its investigation into the matter in 2021.
While the Manhattan DA’s office is the only place Trump has been formally charged, the former president is the target of a number of other investigations and lawsuits.
Special Counsel investigating classified records at Mar-a-Lago
Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Justice Department official Jack Smith as a special counsel to investigate Trump’s alleged improper keeping of confidential records from his presidency at his home in Mar-a-Lago.
Smith has also taken over the Justice Department’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots — specifically whether Trump or other officials and organizations disrupted the peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 presidential election, including confirming the Jan. 6, 2021 Electoral College vote.
President Biden is also currently under investigation by a special counsel for his alleged improper retention of classified Obama administration records. Former Vice President Pence also kept secret records at his home – a matter under investigation by the Justice Department.
The appointment of a special counsel on the matter comes after the FBI searched Trump’s home in an unprecedented move in August Mar-a-Lago iIn connection with an investigation into secret records allegedly taken by the former President from the White House.
The raid was related to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), which said earlier this year that Trump took 15 boxes of the President’s records of his personal residence in Florida. These boxes reportedly contained “classified national security information” and official correspondence between Trump and foreign heads of state.
NARA told Congress in February that the agency had seized the 15 boxes from Mar-a-Lago and “identified items within the boxes marked as classified national security information.” The matter was referred by NARA to the Department of Justice.
FBI WOULD NOT LET TRUMP LAWYERS IN ROOMS WHILE AGENTS RAID MAR-A-LAGO, STATEMENT ON NARA: SOURCE
Trump said earlier this year that the National Archives did not “found” the documents, instead saying they were given “upon request.” Sources close to the former president said he was cooperating and there was “no need” for the raid.
Classified materials reportedly seized by the FBI during Monday’s raid included a letter from former President Obama to Trump, a letter from Kim Jong Un, a birthday menu and a cocktail napkin.
Civil investigation into the Trump Organization
New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, has been investigating Trump since taking office in January 2019. James filed a lawsuit against Trump in September alleging that he and his company had misled banks and others about the value of his wealth.
James alleged that Trump and his children, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric, and his employees and companies, allegedly committed “numerous acts of fraud and misrepresentation” regarding financial statements.
James claimed Trump “inflated his fortune by billions of dollars” and said his children helped him in the process.
Over the summer, Trump appeared in downtown New York City to testify before James. James’ office was Conducting a civil investigation into the Trump Organization to determine if Trump and his company improperly inflated the value of assets in financial statements to obtain credit and tax benefits.
“I did nothing wrong, which is why the federal, state, and local governments, along with the fake news media, have found nothing after a five-year search,” Trump said in a statement in August.
“The United States Constitution exists precisely for this purpose and I will use them to the fullest extent to defend myself against this malicious attack by this administration, this Attorney General’s Office and all other attacks on my family, my company and our country.”
TRUMP RAID IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DOJ, NATIONAL ARCHIVES EXAMINING CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS ALLEGED TO BE TAKEN TO MAR-A-LAGO
“I once asked, ‘If you’re innocent, why are you accepting the Fifth Amendment?’ Now I know the answer to that question,” he continued. “If your family, your business, and everyone around you has been the target of an unfounded, politically motivated witch hunt perpetrated by lawyers, prosecutors, and the fake news media supported, you have no choice.”
“If I have any questions, the raid on my home, Mar-a-Lago, on Monday is over the FBI, Just two days prior to that statement, all uncertainty has been erased,” Trump said. “I have absolutely no choice because the current administration and many prosecutors in this country have lost all moral and ethical boundaries of decency.”
Trump added, “Accordingly, on the advice of my attorney and for all of the reasons set forth above, I have declined to answer questions regarding the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution.”
When Trump was president, James sued his administration dozens of times, challenging policy on the environment, immigration, education, health care, and other issues.
Special Counsel’s investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol riots
Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is also investigating Trump’s alleged improper storage of classified records at Mar-a-Lago, took over the Jan. 6 Justice Department investigation.
Smith is investigating whether Trump or other officials and entities interfered with the peaceful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election, including confirming the January 6, 2021 Electoral College vote.
Fulton County, Georgia Election Survey 2020
In Georgia, Fulton County prosecutors opened a case in early 2021 investigative proceedings into Trump’s alleged efforts to overthrow the state’s 2020 presidential election, including his phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which Trump suggested Republicans “find” enough votes to change the results.
A special grand jury released parts of a report last month detailing the findings of the investigation.
The report notes that a majority of the grand jury believes that one or more witnesses may have committed perjury in their testimony and recommends that prosecutors file charges against them if the district attorney finds the evidence convincing.
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told Fox News Digital that the report “doesn’t even” mention Trump’s name and “has nothing to do with the president because President Trump has done absolutely nothing wrong.”
“The President has participated in two perfect phone calls about the integrity of the Georgia election, which he is entitled to — indeed, as President, it was President Trump’s constitutional duty to ensure the security and integrity of the election,” Cheung said. “Many officials and attorneys were on the line between the two calls, including the Secretary of State for Georgia, and no one objected, not even mildly protested or hung up.”
He added, “President Trump will always fight for real and honest elections in America.”
Trump’s legal team filed a motion Monday this week to overturn the special grand jury report. Trump’s attorneys demanded that all evidence coming from the grand jury be ruled unconstitutional.
Source : www.foxnews.com