Former US President Donald Trump has been slapped with a whopping 34 felony charges in an indictment that marks a significant escalation of the ongoing investigation into his alleged involvement in hush money payments related to his presidential campaign.
According to documents unsealed on Tuesday, prosecutors have accused Trump of masterminding a scheme involving millions of dollars paid out to silence former allies and associates who were willing to speak about his relationships with women. The indictment reveals that Trump orchestrated the payment of hundreds of thousands of dollars in hush money to these individuals, including adult film star Stormy Daniels and model Karen McDougal.
The investigation, led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, has been ongoing for several years, with prosecutors initially focusing on whether Trump's campaign had knowledge of the payments. However, the latest unsealing marks a significant shift in the case, suggesting that Trump himself may have been directly involved in the scheme.
Details of the indictment are sparse, but sources close to the investigation say that prosecutors will argue that Trump knew about and approved the hush money payments as part of his efforts to keep quiet about his relationships with women. The indictment also alleges that Trump's campaign lied to voters about its knowledge of the payments.
The move has sent shockwaves through Washington, with many lawmakers and pundits expressing concern about how this development could impact Trump's chances in a potential 2024 presidential bid. As one prominent Republican strategist noted, "This is a very serious indictment that puts a lot of pressure on Mr. Trump to take responsibility for his actions."
The document clouds released by CNN provide access to the full text of both the indictment and statement of facts.
According to documents unsealed on Tuesday, prosecutors have accused Trump of masterminding a scheme involving millions of dollars paid out to silence former allies and associates who were willing to speak about his relationships with women. The indictment reveals that Trump orchestrated the payment of hundreds of thousands of dollars in hush money to these individuals, including adult film star Stormy Daniels and model Karen McDougal.
The investigation, led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, has been ongoing for several years, with prosecutors initially focusing on whether Trump's campaign had knowledge of the payments. However, the latest unsealing marks a significant shift in the case, suggesting that Trump himself may have been directly involved in the scheme.
Details of the indictment are sparse, but sources close to the investigation say that prosecutors will argue that Trump knew about and approved the hush money payments as part of his efforts to keep quiet about his relationships with women. The indictment also alleges that Trump's campaign lied to voters about its knowledge of the payments.
The move has sent shockwaves through Washington, with many lawmakers and pundits expressing concern about how this development could impact Trump's chances in a potential 2024 presidential bid. As one prominent Republican strategist noted, "This is a very serious indictment that puts a lot of pressure on Mr. Trump to take responsibility for his actions."
The document clouds released by CNN provide access to the full text of both the indictment and statement of facts.
. It's not the first time we've seen Trump in hot water, but this looks like a whole new level of trouble for him. If he's indeed masterminding this scheme, that's some serious stuff - millions of dollars and hush money payments to keep quiet about his personal life? That's a slippery slope for anyone to be on 
. And the fact that it was allegedly done to keep quiet about relationships with women is just plain concerning 
. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out in 2024 - do voters really want to take a chance on someone who might have been involved in something like this? 
. so according to these docs he orchestrated the whole hush money scheme on his own?! that's some major league accountability right there 
. i mean who doesn't love a good trainwreck? 
can't believe this is happening!!! 34 felony charges is like, super crazy!!! i mean, trump was already so shady with all that Stormy Daniels stuff, but this takes it to a whole new level 
and now he's gonna get what's coming to him 
this is gonna be huge for the 2024 election, i can already see the headlines "TRUMP'S FALL FROM GRACE" 
. It's been coming for years. The system is supposed to catch up with people like Trump eventually 
. 34 felony charges? That's a lot 
. He's got some serious explaining to do. I just hope the justice system does its job and doesn't get bogged down in politics 
.
. It was a dark time, but we got through it 
. Trump's actions have consequences, and if he's found guilty, he should face them like everyone else 
.
. But one thing's for sure: the American people deserve the truth, and Trump needs to take responsibility for his actions 
.
like who does that?!? his whole team must be dying from embarrassment right now 
fingers crossed though 
, will ppl really forgive him after all this? 
I mean, 34 felony counts? That's like a whole season of your favorite guilty pleasure TV show 
. Can't wait to see how this plays out... or if Trump just decides to tweet his way through it again 
My thoughts are with them during this tough time. We'll just have to wait and see what happens next, but one thing's for sure: the truth will come out eventually. 