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The Manhattan, New York, grand jury hearing evidence in the criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump has taken another turn.
The case involves Trump’s alleged role in hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election, allegedly to keep Daniels quiet about an affair the two of them had in 2006.
A new report from The Daily Mail reveals there’s speculation that prosecutors have hit problems in building their case.
“They are having trouble convincing the jury to swallow the case. It’s a weak case and has caused divisions in the DA’s office,” a source allegedly told the Daily Mail.
“Other reports suggested the DA’s office could be contemplating a change of strategy. The grand jury meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, but postponements are not unusual and jurors are warned to expect last-minute changes. Either way, it leaves the nation with a cliffhanger,” the Daily Mail reported.
— Dane Alan #2 (@danealanfafo) March 22, 2023
Trump’s 2024 campaign has brought in a whopping $1.5 million in grassroots contributions since he posted online that he could be arrested by the Manhattan district attorney.
“The former president’s initial messages blasting the ‘HIGHLY POLITICAL MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE’ and his call for supporters to ‘PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK’ were immediately amplified in nonstop media reports and statements from his allies and supporters,” the New York Post reported.
“Trump also didn’t let up — nor did his campaign — even though Tuesday came and went without his arrest. He assailed Bragg, Daniels, and Michael Cohen, his former longtime attorney and fixer who became a star witness in the probe, to his 5 million Truth Social followers, while pleading that he did nothing wrong and characterizing the investigation as “another witch hunt” that was interfering in a presidential election,” the outlet added.
Trump’s campaign has also been pumping out fundraising emails.
“We are once again witnessing the complete and utter COLLAPSE of America’s justice system. But very soon, President Trump will be back in the White House to restore TRUE JUSTICE in America,” an email sent by his campaign on Monday proclaimed.
“Of course, it won’t be an easy feat. We’re going up against a nefarious system that will use every tool at its disposal to defeat us. But with support from patriots like you, we will write the greatest American comeback story in history and save our country,” it said.
Trump’s campaign reportedly raked in $1.5 M since his claims of arrest https://t.co/lnV09GK97v pic.twitter.com/ymaIWqeIgF
— New York Post (@nypost) March 22, 2023
A law enforcement source told Fox News Monday that the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and law enforcement discussed extra police and barriers and the logistics of closing down streets.
District Attorney Bragg is also reportedly against allowing for a “virtual arraignment” of Trump, which means he would have to appear in New York.
“The source said law enforcement does not expect the former president to be arraigned until next week as the Manhattan grand jury – which has been meeting secretly to hear evidence for weeks – has another witness on Wednesday. A virtual option was apparently ruled out as the DA is opposed to it. However, another source familiar with the discussions regarding handling a possible Trump indictment said that a virtual arraignment for the former president was never seriously considered,” Fox News reported.
“The grand jury has been probing Trump’s involvement in a $130,000 payment made in 2016 to the porn actress Stormy Daniels to keep her from going public about a sexual encounter she said she had with him years earlier. Trump lawyer Michael Cohen paid Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, through a shell company before being reimbursed by Trump, whose company, the Trump Organization, logged the reimbursements as legal expenses,” Fox News added.
The indictment has triggered outrage from many given federal prosecutors in the U.S. attorneys office for the Southern District of New York chose not to charge Trump in 2019 related to the payment to Daniels.
The Federal Election Commission also tossed its investigation into the matter in 2021.
The DA’s reported decision also comes as Trump is running for president in 2024, which has led to some arguing that the investigation and charges are politically motivated.
A lawyer for Donald Trump described the most likely scenario at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago estate should he be indicted this week by a Manhattan grand jury.
The attorney stated earlier this week that Trump would not resist and would surrender to authorities in the event of an indictment in Bragg’s investigation into the alleged hush-money agreement.
