Donald Trump indicted; expected to surrender next week
World
By
Associated Press
| Mar 31, 2023
Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, a historic reckoning after years of investigations into his personal, political and business dealings and an abrupt jolt to his bid to retake the White House.
The exact nature of the charges was unclear Friday because the indictment remained under seal, but they stem from payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of an extramarital sexual encounter.
Prosecutors said they were working to coordinate Trump's surrender, which could happen early next week. They did not say whether they intended to seek prison time in the event of a conviction, a development that wouldn't prevent Trump from seeking and assuming the presidency.
The indictment, the first against a former U.S. president, injects a local district attorney's office into the heart of a national presidential race and ushers in criminal proceedings in a city that the ex-president for decades called home.
Arriving at a time of deep political divisions, the charges are likely to reinforce rather than reshape dueling perspectives of those who see accountability as long overdue and those who, like Trump, feel the Republican is being targeted for political purposes by a Democratic prosecutor.
READ MORE
Iran slams US deployment of B-52 bombers as 'destabilising'
POCO returns to Kenya with new C75, M6 Pro smartphones
Nairobi gears up for 2024 Big 5 Construct Kenya exhibition
Nairobi City Thunder secure Elite 16 spot on Basketball Africa League debut
Nairobi City Thunder outplay Beau Vallon Heat in Road to BAL debut
Intern doctor Desree Moraa buried
Harambee Stars lose again as Cameroon qualify for 2025 Afcon
Good governance is hinged on quality standards, Kebs says
AFCON 2025: Harambee Stars seek redemption as Cameroon come calling again
Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing and has repeatedly assailed the investigation, called the indictment "political persecution" and predicted it would damage Democrats in 2024.
In a statement confirming the charges, defense lawyers Susan Necheles and Joseph Tacopina said Trump "did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in court."