Trump offered opportunity to testify before New York grand jury: reports

NEW YORK: New York prosecutors have offered Donald Trump (Picture) an opportunity to testify before a grand jury and signal that an investigation into hush money the former president allegedly paid a porn star could soon result in an indictment, US media reported Thursday.

Trump has been offered the opportunity to testify before a New York grand jury next week, whose investigations are said to include a $130,000 payment made just before the 2016 presidential election to an adult film actress named Stormy Daniels, who says she is a had an affair with Trump, the New York Times and Washington Post reported.

Both newspapers cited people with knowledge of the case, which was being conducted by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat who took office in January.

The Times said such offers of testimony “almost always indicate that indictment is imminent.”

If there were an indictment, this would be the first time a former US President has been indicted for a crime.

Trump, who has already announced another run for the White House, faces multiple state and federal criminal investigations into possible wrongdoing before, during and after his first term. He has not yet been charged in any of them.

Also, an indictment in the long-running hush money investigation or something else could affect the 2024 White House race.

The hush money payment, made two weeks before the November 2016 election, was said to prevent Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, from revealing that she had an affair with Trump years ago.

It was made by a close adviser to Trump, attorney Michael Cohen, who said he was later reimbursed.

The payment to Cohen, if not properly accounted for, could result in a misdemeanor charge in New York, but that could become a felony if the improper accounting covered up a second crime, the Times said. –AFP