Former President Donald Trump walks to board his airplane for a trip to a campaign rally in Waco, Texas, at West Palm Beach International Airport, Saturday, March 25, 2023, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
WASHINGTON – Donald Trump has become the first former U.S. president to face a criminal indictment – and he’s wasting no time trying to turn it to his advantage.
Multiple media reports, citing anonymous sources, say the grand jury in New York voted late Thursday to indict Trump in the Stormy Daniels case.
The indictment is sealed, so details of the charges are not yet public, but Trump is accused of covering up hush money payments to the porn star before the 2016 election.
In a statement, Trump calls the indictment “unthinkable” and describes himself as a “completely innocent person.”
He describes the indictment as a “political persecution” by the Biden administration, an effort by the Department of Justice to interfere in the outcome of the 2024 election.
The next step will be an arraignment – and Trump is expected to be given the opportunity to surrender to authorities in New York, likely next week.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2023.
