Report: NY Trump Grand Jury Postponed for Week
The New York grand jury weighing whether to charge former Pres. Trump for paying adult film actress Stormy Daniels reportedly will not convene about the case for the rest of the week. Instead, it will meet about a different case and reconvene for the Trump case Monday.
Facts
- The New York grand jury weighing whether to charge former Pres. Trump for paying adult film actress Stormy Daniels reportedly will not convene about the case for the rest of the week. Instead, it will meet about a different case and reconvene for the Trump case Monday.1
- This comes after the grand jury meeting Wednesday was reportedly called off without a public explanation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office.2
- Last weekend, Trump made a series of posts on social media saying he expected to be criminally charged and called on his supporters to protest. He also criticized Bragg and the investigation.3
- Trump could face charges of falsifying business records related to the $130K payment made through his former lawyer Michael Cohen. It’s alleged the payment was to keep Daniels quiet about an affair with Trump prior to the 2016 election; Trump denies the affair.2
- In its only meeting of the week, the grand jury Monday heard from Robert Costello, an attorney who has worked for Trump associates Steve Bannon and Rudy Giuliani. Costello was expected to offer evidence contradicting Cohen’s testimony.4
- It's not yet clear when Bragg will finish his investigation, but the New York Police Dept. has been making physical preparations for any unrest surrounding a possible indictment, including dropping off portable metal barricades to be used to block off streets or sidewalks.3
Sources: 1ABC News, 2Wall Street Journal, 3Associated Press, and 4CNN.
Narratives
- Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by FOX News. This so-called case against Trump is so weak that Bragg has had to send the grand jury home for the week. The former president has maintained his innocence throughout this process, and Bragg even once suspended the investigation — the federal government and its Federal Election Commission each opted not to pursue investigations on this matter. Bragg is obviously coming to terms with the fact that this political witch hunt is going nowhere.
- Democratic narrative, as provided by MSNBC. We have no idea why Bragg has called off the grand jury for the week. It could be an administrative or scheduling issue, or it could be Bragg is attempting to call a new witness. The District Attorney has at least a few more months to keep the grand jury seated while making a case against Trump, meaning one week off won’t change the facts about Trump’s actions.
