Report: Trump invited to testify before New York grand jury

NEW YORK. Former President Donald Trump has been invited to testify next week before a New York grand jury that was investigating silence payments made on his behalf during his 2016 presidential campaign, according to a news report.

The New York Times quoted “four people with knowledge of the matter” as saying the invitation was made by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. Such an invitation often indicates that a decision on the indictments is close.

The regional prosecutor’s office declined to comment. A spokesman for Trump issued a statement condemning the investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, as politically motivated.

Any indictment would mark the first indictment of a former US president for a crime. It will come as Trump ramps up to reclaim the White House in 2024 while battling legal challenges on multiple fronts.

The Atlanta, Georgia district attorney said decisions are “inevitable” as part of a two-year investigation into possible illegal interference by Trump and his allies in the 2020 election. The US Department of Justice Special Counsel is also investigating attempts by Trump and his allies to cancel the election, as well as the handling of classified documents at his Florida estate.

A New York grand jury is investigating Trump’s involvement in a $130,000 payment made in 2016 to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep her from publicizing a sexual encounter she says she had with a Republican several years ago.

The money was paid out of the personal funds of Trump’s now estranged attorney, Michael Cohen, who then said he was reimbursed by the Trump Organization and also paid additional bonuses totaling to $420,000.

In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to federal charges that the payment, as well as another he helped arrange for model Karen McDougal through the tabloid parent company National Enquirer, amounted to an illegal campaign contribution.

Federal prosecutors at the time decided not to press charges against Trump, who by then was already president. Then the Manhattan District Attorney’s office launched its own investigation, which dragged on for several years, but has been gaining momentum in recent weeks.

Several people close to Trump have been seen entering Bragg’s office for meetings with prosecutors in recent days, including his former political adviser Kellyanne Conway and former press secretary Hope Hicks.

Cohen has also met with prosecutors several times, saying after a recent visit that he believes the investigation is nearing completion.

Under New York State law, people who appear before a grand jury are granted immunity from prosecution for what they say while they testify, so potential targets of a criminal investigation are usually invited to testify only if they refuse to from this immunity. Lawyers generally advise clients not to do this if there is a possibility of criminal prosecution.

It is not clear what charges can be considered by prosecutors.

Legal experts said one potential crime could be how payments to Cohen were structured and falsely classified internally as payments for a legitimate down payment. New York City has a law against falsifying business records, but it is an offense unless falsifying documents involves a more serious felony.

Separately, the district attorney’s office also spent years investigating whether Trump and his company overpriced some of their assets with creditors and potential business partners. These allegations are the subject of a civil lawsuit filed by the state’s attorney general.