Donald Trump indictment delayed as grand jury hearing gets canceled abruptly
Former President Donald Trump’s indictment may be delayed, as the grand jury’s scheduled convening today has reportedly been canceled.
The grand jury hearing evidence on Trump’s alleged involvement in a hush payment to porn star Stormy Daniels will not meet on Wednesday afternoon, two unnamed sources told The New York Times.
Wednesday’s cancelation suggests that Trump’s indictment and in turn arrest could come at the earliest on Thursday.
The grand jury meets in the afternoons on Mondays, Wednesday and Thursdays. On Monday, the jurors heard from a witness until almost 5 p.m. They may listen to at least one more witness before voting on whether to indict Trump, sources told the newspaper.
It was not immediately clear why the grand jury did not meet on Wednesday. They are not required to meet three days per week. Scheduling conflicts can be common.
Additionally, it is not likely that the grand jury will meet anytime for the rest of this week, a law enforcement source told Insider on Wednesday. That would delay any indictment until next week.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has been investigating any role Trump’s had in a $130,000 payment that his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen made to Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign. The payment was issued to silence Daniels on an alleged affair she had with Trump.
Federal prosecutors argue the hush payment was an illegal campaign expenditure.
Trump on Saturday announced that he expected to be arrested on Tuesday of this week and called on his followers to protest. Law enforcement leaders reportedly met at the New York Police Department headquarters to discuss a plan in the event of an indictment.
Bragg’s prosecutors will need to ask the grand jury to vote on whether to charge Trump in order to indict him, and a majority of the 23 panelists must agree for the process to move forward.
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