Former president Donald Trump has been indicted by a grand jury in Manhattan on Thursday.
According to Trump’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, the grand jury voted to indict the former president on charges related to payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign. However, officials in New York have yet to specify the charges against Trump and his indictment remains under seal. Main stream media claims that Trump faces quote “more than 30 counts related to business fraud” citing two unnamed sources familiar with the case. The indictment was confirmed by a spokesperson for the Manhattan district attorney’s office, who said that Trump is expected to be formally arraigned in court next week.
Trump has stated he will turn himself over to authorities on Tuesday of next week. The case revolves around allegations of a hush money payment of one hundred thirty thousand dollars from Trump to Daniels through his then-lawyer Michael Cohen. It was further alleged in a lawsuit against Cohen that Trump had reimbursed him with multiple payments amounting to 35 thousand dollars each, which could have possible implications of falsification of business records and potential violations of campaign finance law.
In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the alleged hush money payment. Trump has denied all knowledge of the payment or any involvement in it and recently cautioned his supporters against “death and destruction” if he were arrested and charged over the matter. In addition, he called out what he believes is a politically motivated prosecution led by the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
Since politics is the “Hollywood for ugly people” and as they say in the business, there is no such thing as bad publicity, just how will the charges affect his 2024 presidential campaign? Charges and a conviction do not disqualify him from a presidential run. Perhaps this whole show was meant to “reenergize” his supporters, as his poll numbers have fallen flat and are far lower than the Deep State operatives that run the “Trump Train” expected. Unfortunately, it will be a stretch for his political fixers to fix this one.
What seems obvious is a glaring double standard of the justice system, where a conviction of any sort for the average American causes issues when trying to find employment, but not when running for the office of the president. This is a prime example of the elite’s laws and rules versus those of the rest of us.