These Grand Jury Witnesses Could Overthrow Donald Trump

A grand jury hearing evidence about former President Donald Trump’s alleged hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels is believed to be nearing the end of its work, she hears from her latest witnesses.

Manhattan prosecutors have been investigating whether $130,000 that Trump allegedly arranged for his former attorney Michael Cohen to pay Daniels to keep their alleged affair a secret ahead of the 2016 election amounted to a campaign violation.

Investigators are also looking at whether records were falsified when Cohen was reimbursed the money listed as legal fees in Trump Organization records. Trump denies wrongdoing and denies having an affair with Daniels.

Earlier, Trump had hinted that he could be arrested as part of the investigation on Tuesday. However, it later emerged that the grand jury would not announce a possible indictment that day, as it has one more witness to hear, at least on Wednesday.

A number of people have already testified before the grand jury as part of the investigation, which could result in Trump becoming the first former US president to be indicted with a crime.

The star witness for the prosecution is believed to be Cohen, who was convicted in 2018 on federal charges related to the Daniels payment.

Cohen, who is now a vocal and frequent critic of the former president, denied that his testimony was simply about “revenge” against Trump.

“This is all about accountability. He must be held accountable for his dirty deeds,” Cohen told reporters ahead of his first grand jury appearance on March 13.

A number of other people have also testified as part of the investigation, including David Pecker, the former head of the company that publishes the National Investigator Tabloid, who reportedly turned down the chance to buy Daniel’s story about the alleged affair, and Dylan Howard, a former National Investigator Editor who played a central role in burying stories that could harm Trump.

Other people who testified were Jeffrey McConney, a longtime executive at the Trump Organization, and Keith Davidson, Daniels’ attorney.

Two key figures in the investigation who have not testified are Trump and Daniels.

Trump was invited to testify, which was the strongest indication that the grand jury investigation was drawing to a close, but he declined the offer.

Daniels’ attorney confirmed that the adult film star had spoken to prosecutors to answer questions and agreed to make herself available as a witness, although she did not appear to testify.

On Monday, Trump said grand jury testimony by attorney Robert Costello successfully disproved the evidence presented by Cohen.

Costello, who previously represented a number of Trump allies including Rudy Guiliani and Steve Bannon and was once Cohen’s legal counsel, said he intends to tell the grand jury that Cohen “can’t tell the truth if you put a gun to his.” Head.”

In a post on Truth Social following Costello’s appearance in New York, Trump said: “It is said that disfellowshipped attorney Michael Cohen was drained today after his highly respected former attorney and legal adviser Robert Costello failed to make much of an impression only on the prosecution’s office , but on the grand jury itself.

“He is known as a great lawyer and a most honorable man. He told the media that he could no longer listen to the lies Cohen was spreading. He told the TRUTH, with papers, documents and support. He left ZERO doubts. THERE WILL DO THE RIGHT THING!”

Cohen was summoned by prosecutors to appear in court in New York on Monday if he needed to disprove Costello’s testimony, but was not called to speak before the grand jury.

After the former president said he would be arrested Tuesday as part of the investigation, Trump’s attorney Joe Tacopina said news week that next week instead “looks like it’s going to be” in relation to a possible indictment.