Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office has asked former President Donald Trump to testify before a grand jury investigating a hush money payment to a porn star in the final stretch of the 2016 presidential campaign.
The case centers around a $130,000 payment then-Trump fixer Michael Cohen made to porn star Stormy Daniels in an apparent attempt to keep her from going public with details of an alleged affair she had with Trump before he ran for office.
Prosecutors appear likely to argue the Trump Organization illegally reimbursed Cohen the $130,000 through identifying the payment as legal expenses—as falsifying business records is a misdemeanor offense in New York.
They may also argue the payment was a felony violation of campaign finance law since the cash to allegedly kill the story may have functioned as an illegal donation to help the Trump campaign, though that is the subject of legal debate.
Trump’s potential indictment could send shockwaves across the 2024 presidential campaign, as prominent Republicans—including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence—mull entering the race. It could also be the first domino to fall in what could end up being a string of criminal charges against the former president, following years of investigations and mounting legal pressures.
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