Former US President Donald Trump has been formally charged with a staggering 34 felony counts in an unsealed indictment, marking the latest development in his ongoing legal battles.
According to the indictment, Trump is accused of paying $110,000 in hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels' personal lawyer Michael Cohen in 2016, just days before the presidential election. The payment was allegedly made as part of a deal to keep quiet about an alleged extramarital affair between Trump and Daniels.
The indictment also reveals that Trump's former lawyer Rudy Giuliani made false statements to the FBI about the nature of his client's interactions with Daniels' lawyer, including claiming that he had never met her before. Additionally, Trump is accused of instructing Cohen to make the payment, which was then funnelled through a shell company.
In a statement released alongside the indictment, prosecutors alleged that Trump's actions were "a deliberate attempt to conceal from investigators his conduct surrounding this transaction". The document paints a picture of a coordinated scheme by Trump and his associates to silence Daniels and avoid scrutiny over his personal life.
The charges carry significant penalties, including potential prison time for Trump. This latest development marks another major escalation in the ongoing investigation into Trump's dealings with Cohen and his associates.
Read the full indictment here and the statement of facts related to the hush money payment payment here.
According to the indictment, Trump is accused of paying $110,000 in hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels' personal lawyer Michael Cohen in 2016, just days before the presidential election. The payment was allegedly made as part of a deal to keep quiet about an alleged extramarital affair between Trump and Daniels.
The indictment also reveals that Trump's former lawyer Rudy Giuliani made false statements to the FBI about the nature of his client's interactions with Daniels' lawyer, including claiming that he had never met her before. Additionally, Trump is accused of instructing Cohen to make the payment, which was then funnelled through a shell company.
In a statement released alongside the indictment, prosecutors alleged that Trump's actions were "a deliberate attempt to conceal from investigators his conduct surrounding this transaction". The document paints a picture of a coordinated scheme by Trump and his associates to silence Daniels and avoid scrutiny over his personal life.
The charges carry significant penalties, including potential prison time for Trump. This latest development marks another major escalation in the ongoing investigation into Trump's dealings with Cohen and his associates.
Read the full indictment here and the statement of facts related to the hush money payment payment here.
Can't believe this is happening! It feels like we're finally getting some closure on all the drama surrounding Trump's presidency 
. I'm not surprised that Trump is being charged with 34 felony counts, though - his behavior has been suspiciously shady from day one 
. The fact that he allegedly paid $110,000 to keep Stormy Daniels quiet about their alleged affair is just gross 
. And let's be real, Rudy Giuliani's claims of never meeting her before? 
Those are some serious lies.
. The charges carry significant penalties, and he should definitely be worried about potential prison time 
. It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out in court and what the verdict will be 
. Either way, I'm just glad we're getting some clarity on this situation 
.
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. I don't think it's right that he's being held accountable for something that happened 5 years ago. It feels like a lot of attention is being focused on this one thing, while all these other things are just kinda... forgotten 
.
Guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens next? 
