Trump Indicted For Role In Hush-Money Payments To Adult Film Star, Ex-US President Calls It 'Witch Hunt'

A grand jury in Manhattan has voted to indict former US president Donald Trump for his role in paying hush money to a porn star. Trump has termed the indictment against him a "political persecution".

 A grand jury in Manhattan voted to indict former US president Donald Trump for his role in paying hush money to a porn star, as per The New York Times.

The New York Times quoted five people with knowledge of the matter as saying that the grand jury on Thursday voted to indict Trump for his role in paying hush money to a porn star, "a historic development that will shake up the 2024 presidential race and forever mark him as the nation's first former president to face criminal charges." The report mentioned that the indictment is expected to be announced in the coming days.

"By then, prosecutors working for the district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg," will have asked the former US president to surrender and to face arraignment on charges that remain unknown for now. CNN reported that Trump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud.

The report added that on Thursday, three lead prosecutors on the Trump investigation walked into the Manhattan court building where the grand jury was sitting minutes before the panel was scheduled to meet at 2 pm.

One of the prosecutors carried a copy of the penal law, which was likely used to read the criminal statutes to the grand jurors before they voted.

"About three hours later, the prosecutors walked into the court clerk's office through a back door to begin the process of filing the indictment," the report stated.

Trump has consistently denied all wrongdoing and attacked Bragg, accusing him of leading a "political prosecution". 

This Witch-Hunt Will Backfire Massively On Joe Biden: Donald Trump

Donald Trump has alleged that the indictment against him is a "political persecution and election interference at the highest level in history" and claimed that the "witch-hunt will backfire massively" on incumbent US President Joe Biden.

"This is political persecution and election interference at the highest level in history. From the time I came down the golden escalator at Trump Tower, and even before I was sworn in as your President of the United States, the radical left Democrats -- the enemy of the hard-working men and women of this country -- have been engaged in a witch-hunt to destroy the 'Make America Great Again' movement," Trump said in a statement, as quoted by PTI.

"You remember it just like I do: Russia, Russia, Russia; the Mueller Hoax; Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine; Impeachment Hoax 1; Impeachment Hoax 2; the illegal and unconstitutional Mar-a-Lago raid; and now this," he added.

The former president alleged that the Democrats "lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to 'Get Trump'. But now they've done the unthinkable -- indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant election interference".

Trump called Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a disgrace.

"Rather than stopping the unprecedented crime wave taking over New York City, he's doing Joe Biden's dirty work, ignoring the murders and burglaries and assaults he should be focused on. This is how Bragg spends his time!" he remarked.

He said that he believes "this witch-hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden".

"The American people realize exactly what the radical left Democrats are doing here. Everyone can see it. So our movement, and our party - united and strong - will first defeat Alvin Bragg, and then we will defeat Joe Biden, and we are going to throw every last one of these crooked democrats out of office so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump added.

"Never before in our nation's history has this been done. The Democrats have cheated countless times over the decades, including spying on my campaign, but weaponising our justice system to punish a political opponent, who just so happens to be a President of the United States and by far the leading Republican candidate for president, has never happened before. Ever," he said.

Al Mason, a real estate businessman from New York and co-chair of the Trump Victory Indian-American Finance Committee told PTI, "It is 100 per cent political. Trump will emerge even stronger after this witch hunt. Never underestimate him."

According to news agency Reuters, Bragg's office said that it had contacted Trump's attorney to coordinate a surrender. The report mentioned a court official as saying the surrender would likely occur next Tuesday.

Bragg successfully prosecuted Trump's business last year on tax-fraud charges, it led to a $1.61 million criminal penalty.

Trump has appealed to supporters to provide money for a legal defense. Reuters reported Trump's campaign as stating that he has raised over $2 million since he incorrectly predicted on March 18 that he would be arrested four days later.