New drama in New York: justice has postponed, perhaps until next week, the possible criminal indictment of former President of the United States Donald Trump, several media reported on Wednesday March 22.
The 76-year-old Republican billionaire, who dreams of "returning" to the White House in November 2024, must answer in court in New York State for a case of payment of 130,000 dollars, just before his presidential victory of November 2016, to an actress of X movies, Stormy Daniels, with whom he would have had an affair.
The Grand Jury Hypothesis
After years of investigation by the Manhattan prosecutor's office, his prosecutor Alvin Bragg, an elected Democrat, seemed since last week to announce a criminal indictment, which would be historic, of the 45th American president (2017-2021).
It was Donald Trump, who, from his residence in Mar-a-Lago (Florida), sparked a media and political storm on Saturday by writing in capital letters on his Truth Social network that he would be charged and “arrested” Tuesday
March
21 .
But prosecutor Bragg remained silent and nothing happened as announced by the former head of state.
This Wednesday morning, American media, which is besieging the Manhattan courthouse, speculated on the hypothesis that a grand jury (a panel of citizens with broad investigative powers which works with the prosecutor Bragg) voted for an indictment in the afternoon.
But according to the
New York Times
and the online media
Insider
, which rely on two judicial sources, the grand jury meeting on Wednesday has been canceled.
Insider
says that panel won't vote until the end of the week, even though it was scheduled to meet on Thursday, March 23.
The grand jury sits on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Preparation of New York
Asked by AFP, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor refused to "
confirm or comment on questions related to the grand jury
".
And even charged, Donald Trump would not be “
arrested
” immediately.
It would take several days for him to appear in Manhattan.
In this case, after having voluntarily “
surrendered
” to justice, he would be notified of the proceedings and would, possibly and symbolically, be placed under arrest for a few minutes.
The former president, who has upset the balance of power in the United States since 2016, would then be photographed, his fingerprints taken and he could even be briefly handcuffed.
In the meantime, New York is getting ready.
Calmly.
New York Police (NYPD) handlers installed metal barriers in front of the courthouse and the "Trump Tower" in Manhattan on Tuesday, March 21.
And, to prevent any risk of clashes in a city with a violent history, the NYPD warned that "
the presence of uniformed police officers would increase in the five boroughs of the megalopolis
", even if there is "
currently no credible threat to New York
.”
Securing the "Trump Tower", in Manhattan, New York, United States, March 22, 2023. DAVID DEE DELGADO / REUTERS
A "witch hunt"
Donald Trump, surrounded by several court files, assures him that he has committed "
no crime
" and is the victim of a "
witch hunt
" led by the Democrats.
The case of pornographic actress Stormy Daniels is legally complex.
New York justice is seeking to determine whether Donald Trump is guilty of misrepresentation, an offense, or breach of campaign finance laws, a criminal offense, by having paid money to this woman, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, just before the 2016 presidential election, which the Republican had won.
What purpose ?
For her to conceal a supposed extramarital relationship ten years earlier, according to the prosecution.
The investigation accelerated last week.
Michael Cohen, former lawyer and now enemy of Trump who paid Stormy Daniels, had testified before the grand jury.
The actress has also cooperated with prosecutors and this same panel.
Donald Trump had also been invited to speak before this grand jury, according to the
New York Times
and the
Washington Post
.
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He had called on his supporters on Saturday to "
protest
" and gave them an appointment at the next presidential election on November 5, 2024 to "
return
" to the White House.
There have so far been a few dozen protesters outside the courthouse and Trump Tower in New York, and in Palm Beach, Florida.
The main fear of the authorities is a repeat of the violence of the assault on the Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021, when Donald Trump, defeated at the polls in November 2020, called on his supporters to challenge the results.
He still claims, baselessly, that the victory was “
stolen
” from him by President Joe Biden.