Donald Trump, impeached for allegedly paying dark money to porn actress Stormy Daniels. The Republican, a candidate for the White House in 2024, will be the first former US president to face criminal charges, yet to be determined, related to the secret payment to a porn actress to buy her silence

The tycoon, who has been confined for months at his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, has issued a statement defining his indictment as “political persecution and election interference at the highest level”. The New York grand jury will indict him for paying $130,000 (120,000 euros) to porn actress Stormy Daniels to buy her silence about an alleged extramarital affair between the two, an event that occurred just days before the 2016 election, according to El País.

Donald Trump indicted in ‘Stormy Daniels’ case

A grand jury in New York has voted to indict the former president and current presidential candidate in connection with the case being investigated by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. The ‘Stormy Daniels’ case concerns the $130,000 payment that Trump’s then lawyer Michael Cohen shelled out to buy the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election that would make the real estate mogul president of the United States.

Trump has always denied the relationship with Daniels, going so far as to accuse her of extortion, according to El País. Trump’s lawyers have denounced the moves of prosecutor Alvin Bragg, considering that they obey political interests contrary to the Republican.

One of the crucial testimonies for prosecutors was that of Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer who went to prison after pleading guilty to federal crimes in 2018. Cohen made the $130,000 payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels in exchange for not disclosing a sexual encounter with Trump. “He made the decision to speak out against the powers that be and accept the consequences,” his lawyer, Lanny Davis, said in a statement, the newspaper reports.

Trump has admitted that he returned the money to Cohen during his first year in the White House. The receipt was issued by the Trump Organisation. The document stated that the payment was proceeds from work Cohen never performed, according to Justice Department officials.

Former US President Donald Trump will appear in court on Tuesday, his lawyer Susan Necheles told AFP on Thursday. Donald Trump will face 34 charges in a New York criminal court, according to CNN. Among these are charges of commercial fraud and forgery of documents.