*Former United States President Donald Trump is indicted over his alleged crimes relating to $130,000 payments hush money to certain Ms. Stormy Daniels towards at the end of 2016 presidential election campaign in the American country

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

Former United States (US) President Donald Trump is expected to appear in court Tuesday, April 4, 2023, over alleged hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.

When in court, Trump is to be accused of over 30 charges related to hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, following a New York grand jury that voted to indict him.

Trump’s lawyer Joe Tacopina confirmed that he had been informed his client faces an indictment in New York, making him the first former US President to be charged with a crime.

However, Trump has called the charge “election interference”, saying that he is “completely innocent” and the “victim of a corrupt and distorted version of the American justice system.”

Likewise, his legal team  said that they would “vigorously fight the indictment in court,” agency report said.

Basis for criminal charges

Trump is being indicted over purported crimes relating to a $130,000 (£105,000) payment to Ms. Daniels towards the end of the 2016 presidential election campaign.

During investigation, Ms. Daniels alleged that she had sex with Trump a decade before he became US President, but the ex-occupant of the white House denied the embarrassing allegation, according to report.

Susan Necheles, another lawyer for Trump, told reporters she expects the arraignment – his initial court appearance – to be Tuesday, April 4.

The former President, who wants to run again 2024, will face over 30 charges related to business fraud.

The exact charges have not been made public yet.

Report also indicates that Trump is still popular with his base, and is leading in polls for the Republican primary.

Police in New York have been ordered to stand ready in case of crowd trouble amid expected anger among his supporters over the charges.

Trump reacts

In his reaction to the development, Trump in a statement said: “This is political persecution and election interference at the highest level in history.

“From the time I came down the golden escalator at Trump Tower, and even before I was sworn in as your president of the United States, the radical left Democrats – the enemy of the hard-working men and women of this country – have been engaged in a witch-hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement.

“You remember it just like I do: Russia, Russia, Russia; the Mueller Hoax; Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine; Impeachment Hoax 1; Impeachment Hoax 2; the illegal and unconstitutional Mar-a-Lago raid; and now this.”

He also noted: “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.

“Never before in our nation’s history has this been done.

“The Democrats have cheated countless times over the decades, including spying on my campaign, but weaponising our justice system to punish a political opponent, who just so happens to be a president of the United States and by far the leading Republican candidate for president, has never happened before. Ever.”

Trump added: “Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, who was hand-picked and funded by George Soros, is a disgrace.

“Rather than stopping the unprecedented crime wave taking over New York City, he’s doing Joe Biden’s dirty work, ignoring the murders and burglaries and assaults he should be focused on. This is how Bragg spends his time!

“I believe this witch-hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden.

“The American people realise exactly what the radical left Democrats are doing here.

“Everyone can see it. So our movement, and our party – united and strong – will first defeat Alvin Bragg, and then we will defeat Joe Biden, and we are going to throw every last one of these crooked Democrats out of office so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”