By John Ikani
Former US President Donald Trump is facing criminal charges after a years-long investigation by Manhattan prosecutors, marking the first time in history that a former US president has been indicted.
Although the exact nature of the charges remains unknown as they are still under seal, Trump’s lawyer, Susan Necheles, confirmed that he will surrender to be arraigned in court on Tuesday.
Trump, who is running as a Republican candidate for president in 2024, is being charged after a grand jury in New York heard evidence from witnesses including his former lawyer, Michael Cohen.
The investigation centers around whether payments made to porn actor Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, violated campaign finance and accounting laws.
Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 after pleading guilty to charges linked to the payment.
While Trump’s indictment has been met with strong opposition from his supporters, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer urged Trump and his supporters to let the legal process proceed peacefully, stating that “Mr. Trump is subject to the same laws as every American.”
Trump’s indictment is also expected to trigger a fierce backlash from Republicans, with several Republican House committee chairs already launching an inquiry into the investigation by the Democratic-led Manhattan district attorney’s office.
However, a Quinnipiac University poll released on Wednesday showed that 57 percent of Americans think Trump should be disqualified from running for president if he faces criminal charges, and 55 percent believe that the accusations being investigated by the Manhattan DA are serious.
The indictment of Trump comes after the Manhattan DA’s office secured a criminal conviction against his family business, the Trump Organization, last year over a 13-year tax fraud scheme carried out by senior executives.
In addition, Trump is facing a civil case brought by the New York attorney-general’s office, which has accused him of financial fraud in connection with the Trump Organization, and is under investigation in Georgia over his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
A special counsel at the Department of Justice is also considering whether to charge Trump over his alleged role in inciting riots on Capitol Hill in January 2021.
Despite these legal challenges, Trump remains the favorite among Republican grassroots who will select the party’s nominee for president in 2024.
Trump was the first Republican to declare his candidacy and is only being challenged by former UN ambassador Nikki Haley and anti-ESG investor Vivek Ramaswamy.
Republican governor of Florida Ron DeSantis, who is considered one of Trump’s biggest rivals in 2024, accused the Manhattan DA of “stretching the law to target a political opponent,” but has not officially entered the race himself.
In a statement, Trump called the charges against him “political persecution and election interference at the highest level in history,” and vowed to “vigorously fight this political prosecution in court.”
