Trump indicted over role in paying ‘hush’ money to porn star

Former US President Donald Trump has been indicted by a New York grand jury over his alleged role in a scheme to pay “hush money” to a porn actress during the 2016 presidential campaign.

The indictment has also made Trump the first former president to ever be criminally charged after leaving office.

The indictment of Trump was signed and filed under seal by the grand jury on Thursday afternoon following a case brought against him by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, and is centered on a $130,000 payment to an adult film actress, Stormy Daniels, who claimed she had an affair with Trump.

Trump has consistently denied the affair while his lawyers have continued to maintain the former president’s innocence.

“President Trump has been indicted. He did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in Court,” his attorneys Joe Tacopina and Susan Necheles said in a statement after the indictment.

READ ALSO:Trump holds first campaign rally ahead of 2024 presidential election

A message released by Trump shortly after the news of the indictment broke, called it a “witch-hunt,” saying the move was an attempt by Democrats to interfere in the 2024 election.

“This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history.

“The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to ‘Get Trump,’ but now they’ve done the unthinkable, indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference,” he said.

Trump also accused the New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg, saying he was “doing Joe Biden’s dirty work.”

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