The continuing saga of the Manhattan grand jury hearing evidence in the criminal investigation into Trump has taken many turns in the last week.
The case involves former President Donald Trump’s alleged role in hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election, allegedly to keep Daniels quiet about an alleged affair the two of them had in 2006, which Trump has repeatedly and vehemently denied.
The Manhattan, New York, grand jury that is investigating Trump met this week after a hiatus.
During the time off, speculation is that the case is not making headway.
Manhattan District Attorney Bragg responded last week to a potential indictment and arrest of former President Donald Trump.
Bragg issued a vague statement that did not actually provide any information about what might happen next, Conservative Brief reports.
Members of the House Judiciary Committee sent a letter to Bragg “demanding communications, documents, and testimony relating to Bragg’s unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority and the potential indictment of former President Donald Trump,” and taking exception to Bragg’s tactics in bringing the dead case back to life, saying that Braggs actions would implicate the 2024 presidential election.
Bragg addressed the House Judiciary Committee’s communication and said, “Your letter dated March 20, 2023, (the ‘Letter’), in contrast, is an unprecedented inquiry into a pending local prosecution.
The letter only came after Donald Trump created a false expectation that he would be arrested the next day and his lawyers reportedly urged you to intervene. Neither fact is a legitimate basis for a congressional inquiry.”
In his letter, the Manhattan DA said his office will “publicly state the conclusion of our investigation—whether we conduct our work without bringing charges, or move forward with an indictment,” and stated that Congress had no right to question the actions of his office.
But there may be a breakthrough in the case, as a new witness testified on Monday before the grand jury. The witness is David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer.
“Pecker was a key player in the $150,000 “catch-and-kill” payment to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, in which the Enquirer bought the publishing rights to her claim that she — like Daniels — had an affair with Trump before he became president. The Enquirer never reported McDougal’s allegations but its parent company, American Media Inc., featured her in other publications. Trump has denied having sex with either woman and has denied any wrongdoing in connection with the payments to them,” according to the New York Post.
Meanwhile, a new report from The Daily Mail reveals there’s speculation that prosecutors have hit problems in building their case.
“They are having trouble convincing the jury to swallow the case. It’s a weak case and has caused divisions in the DA’s office,” a source allegedly told the Daily Mail.
“Other reports suggested the DA’s office could be contemplating a change of strategy. The grand jury meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, but postponements are not unusual and jurors are warned to expect last-minute changes. Either way, it leaves the nation with a cliffhanger,” the Daily Mail reported.
— Dane Alan #2 (@danealanfafo) March 22, 2023
Trump’s 2024 campaign has brought in a whopping $1.5 million in grassroots contributions since he posted online that he could be arrested by the Manhattan district attorney. “The former president’s initial messages blasting the ‘HIGHLY POLITICAL MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE’ and his call for supporters to ‘PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK’ were immediately amplified in nonstop media reports and statements from his allies and supporters,” the New York Post reported.
“Trump also didn’t let up — nor did his campaign — even though Tuesday came and went without his arrest. He assailed Bragg, Daniels, and Michael Cohen, his former longtime attorney and fixer who became a star witness in the probe, to his 5 million Truth Social followers, while pleading that he did nothing wrong and characterizing the investigation as “another witch hunt” that was interfering in a presidential election,” the outlet added.
Trump’s campaign reportedly raked in $1.5 M since his claims of arrest https://t.co/lnV09GK97v pic.twitter.com/ymaIWqeIgF
— New York Post (@nypost) March 22, 2023
The possible indictment has triggered outrage from many given federal prosecutors in the U.S. attorneys office for the Southern District of New York chose not to charge Trump in 2019 related to the payment to Daniels. The Federal Election Commission also tossed its investigation into the matter in 2021.
A lawyer for Donald Trump stated earlier this week that Trump would not resist and would surrender to authorities in the event of an indictment in Bragg’s investigation into the alleged hush-money agreement.
Trump has been outspoken in all attacks against him since he left office, and has repeatedly cooperated with authorities in order to bring all false allegations to an end.
Regarding the Daniels allegations which were put to rest and now have been dragged back up, Trump recently posted, “I won a Federal lawsuit for almost $500,000 against Story ‘Horseface’ Daniels. Never had an affair with her, and would never have wanted to!”
