The grand jury investigating former U.S. President Donald Trump’s alleged involvement in a hush-money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels is not expected to reconvene on the matter until after the Easter holiday on April 9, according to a law enforcement source.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office has been presenting evidence to the grand jury about potential crimes related to a $130,000 payment made to Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election. The payment was allegedly made to keep Daniels from speaking out about a sexual encounter she had with Trump ten years earlier.
If indicted, Trump would be the first U.S. president to face criminal charges in court. However, Trump has repeatedly denied the affair took place and falsely claimed that he would be arrested in connection to the case last week.
The law enforcement source, who spoke anonymously, stated it was unclear when the grand jury would hear evidence in the Trump case after the holiday. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Grand jury proceedings are secret, and the grand jury is believed to meet on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons.
The investigation into the hush-money payment is just one of many legal battles in which Trump has been embroiled since leaving office. The former president also faces criminal probes in Georgia and Washington, D.C., related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Despite the mounting legal challenges, Trump has remained defiant, insisting that the investigations are politically motivated and baseless. He has repeatedly attacked Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. and his successor Alvin Bragg, warning of potential “death and destruction” if charged with a crime.
The delay in the grand jury’s proceedings means that Trump’s legal battles will likely continue for some time. It remains to be seen whether he will ultimately be charged with a crime concerning the hush-money payment or any of the other investigations he is facing.
