Former US President Donald Trump has been slapped with a slew of felony charges in an indictment unsealed on Tuesday. The 34-count indictment, which is related to a hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during his presidential campaign, marks a significant escalation in the ongoing legal battle between Trump and investigators.
According to a statement released by the Manhattan District Attorney's office, Trump allegedly directed his former lawyer Michael Cohen to arrange a $130,000 payment to Daniels in exchange for her silence about an alleged affair with Trump. This payment was made via two shell companies linked to Trump, according to prosecutors.
The indictment alleges that Trump was involved in a scheme to make the hush money payments, including directing his lawyers and associates to handle the transactions. Prosecutors claim that this action amounts to racketeering conspiracy, among other charges.
Trump's lawyer, Alina Habib, denied the allegations, stating that "Mr. Trump had no knowledge of the payment being made from his personal funds" and that "any suggestion that Mr. Trump participated in any wrongdoing is false."
The indictment comes just weeks after a grand jury indicted Cohen on multiple counts related to the same hush money scheme. The ongoing investigations into Trump's business dealings and presidential campaign have raised questions about potential corruption and misuse of power.
As details continue to emerge, it remains to be seen how this latest development will play out in the courts and impact the ongoing saga surrounding Trump's post-presidency.
According to a statement released by the Manhattan District Attorney's office, Trump allegedly directed his former lawyer Michael Cohen to arrange a $130,000 payment to Daniels in exchange for her silence about an alleged affair with Trump. This payment was made via two shell companies linked to Trump, according to prosecutors.
The indictment alleges that Trump was involved in a scheme to make the hush money payments, including directing his lawyers and associates to handle the transactions. Prosecutors claim that this action amounts to racketeering conspiracy, among other charges.
Trump's lawyer, Alina Habib, denied the allegations, stating that "Mr. Trump had no knowledge of the payment being made from his personal funds" and that "any suggestion that Mr. Trump participated in any wrongdoing is false."
The indictment comes just weeks after a grand jury indicted Cohen on multiple counts related to the same hush money scheme. The ongoing investigations into Trump's business dealings and presidential campaign have raised questions about potential corruption and misuse of power.
As details continue to emerge, it remains to be seen how this latest development will play out in the courts and impact the ongoing saga surrounding Trump's post-presidency.
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. I mean, come on, who needs 34 felony charges to know that Trump is a shady guy? It's like they're trying to keep us guessing 
. And what's with the shell companies, can't he just be honest for once? 
The fact that his lawyer is denying all allegations and claiming Trump had no knowledge of the payment being made from his personal funds is soooo suspicious 
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. It feels like they're just trying to keep him busy while investigators dig deeper 
. I'm not saying he's guilty or anything (although, let's be real, the evidence seems pretty damning 
), but can't we just have a straightforward trial already? 
This whole thing is just giving me headaches 
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. While it's too early to say how this will all play out, one can't help but wonder whether this marks a major shift in public perception on Trump's post-presidency legacy 
. The fact that investigators are now targeting shell companies linked to him, rather than just focusing on individual wrongdoers, indicates a more nuanced approach to understanding potential corruption and abuse of power 
. This development will undoubtedly have far-reaching implications for the ongoing saga surrounding Trump's presidency and post-presidential activities 
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and we're all just gonna forget about it like we do with everything else 
, but at the same time, like, how can you not be suspicious of a guy who thinks he's above the law? 
and honestly, 34 counts ain't nothing 
... or is it? 
. But you know what's even more interesting? The fact that 75% of Americans believe he's guilty, according to a recent poll 
. The indictment also alleges racketeering conspiracy, which means if convicted, Trump could face up to 20 years in prison 
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If so, that would be huge for accountability. And what about the grand jury indictment of Cohen – is this just the beginning of a larger domino effect? 
oh my gosh this is so intense!!! i'm keeping an eye on this whole situation and trying not to overthink it lol what a wild ride for trump right now 
This is like, so crazy! I'm literally shaking right now, thinking about how far down the rabbit hole Donald Trump has gone 
And what's up with these shell companies and secret payments?! Sounds like some serious corruption going on 
My favorite show is all about the drama, and Trump's antics are like, the ultimate plot twist 
, you know? Like, I'm not saying Trump didn't do whatever it is he's accused of doing, but come on, a $130k payment to some adult film star? That just seems like a lot of dough for an affair... 
. I'm not saying he didn't do anything wrong (although that's hard to prove), but come on... 34 counts of felony charges? that's some serious stuff.
. He broke bad, and now he's paying the price. It's like karma, you know? And can we talk about how these investigations are just keeping us informed about what our leaders do behind closed doors? I mean, transparency is key, right? 
. We've seen plenty of scandals and controversies surrounding him, so this isn't exactly new territory.
i'm surprised his lawyer didn't just admitted to something already, all these denials are gonna come back to haunt him. the whole thing with stormy daniels and michael cohen is still weird, who tries to pay someone off for keeping quiet about a secret affair? 
. Maybe he'll get off scot-free and prove everyone wrong again