PanamaTimes

Sunday, Jul 06, 2025

Trump's Indictment Over "Hush Money" Case Delayed As Jury Fails To Meet

Trump's Indictment Over "Hush Money" Case Delayed As Jury Fails To Meet

The panel, which operates in secret, usually gathers on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, leading to speculation that a vote on a historic indictment of a former president was imminent.
A New York grand jury will not meet after all Wednesday, US media reported, delaying a decision on whether to charge ex-president Donald Trump over hush money paid to a porn star.

The panel, which operates in secret, usually gathers on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, leading to speculation that a vote on a historic indictment of a former president was imminent.

Wednesday's session was called off, however, unnamed law enforcement officials told multiple US outlets without giving a reason for the pause. The New York Times reported that interruptions in grand jury proceedings are not unusual.

Insider, which broke the news of the canceled meeting, quoted one source as saying the panel may not gather again this week, meaning that the earliest a decision might come is Monday.

With barricades outside Trump Tower and police on high alert, New York has been holding its breath over the expected indictment for days, particularly after Trump claimed at the weekend that he would be arrested on Tuesday. He wasn't.

The 76-year-old Republican would become the first former or sitting president to ever be charged with a crime if the panel votes to indict.

The unprecedented move would send shockwaves through the 2024 election campaign, in which Trump is running to regain office.

It would also raise the prospect of a former leader of the free world being arrested, booked, fingerprinted and possibly handcuffed.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg formed the grand jury in January following his investigation into $130,000 paid to Stormy Daniels in 2016.

Grand juries operate behind closed doors to prevent perjury or witness tampering before trials, making it virtually impossible to follow their proceedings.

A spokesperson for Bragg told AFP that she "can't confirm or comment on grand jury matters."

Even once the panel takes a decision, it is unclear when Bragg would announce any charges.

Legal experts have suggested it could take some time before Trump -- currently at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida -- is arraigned before a Manhattan Criminal Court judge.

The hush-money payment was made weeks before the 2016 election, allegedly to stop Daniels from going public about a liaison she says she had with Trump years earlier.

Trump denies the affair and has called the inquiry a "witch hunt."

Trump calls for protests

His ex-lawyer-turned-adversary Michael Cohen, who has testified before the grand jury, told Congress in 2019 that he made the payment on Trump's behalf and was later reimbursed.

The payment to Daniels, if not properly accounted for, could result in a misdemeanor charge for falsifying business records, experts say.

That might be raised to a felony if the false accounting was intended to cover up a second crime, such as a campaign finance violation, which is punishable by up to four years behind bars.

Analysts say that argument is untested and would be difficult to prove in court, and any jail time is far from certain.

An indictment would begin a lengthy process that could last several months, if not more. The case would face a mountain of legal issues as it moves toward jury selection and pose a security headache for Secret Service agents who protect Trump.

Trump has called for massive demonstrations if he is charged, fueling fears of unrest similar to the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol, but so far protests have been small and muted.

New York police have erected barricades outside the courthouse and Trump Tower.

Trump is facing several criminal investigations at the state and federal level over possible wrongdoing that threaten his new run at the White House, many more serious than the Manhattan case.

They include his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state of Georgia, his handling of classified documents, and his possible involvement in the January 6 rioting.

Some observers believe an indictment bodes ill for Trump's 2024 chances, while others say it could boost his support.
Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Brazilian Congress Rejects Lula's Proposed Tax Increase on Financial Transactions
Landslide in Bello, Colombia, Results in Multiple Casualties
Papa Johns pizza surge near the Pentagon tipped off social media before Trump's decisive Iran strike
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Sole Survivor of Air India Crash Recounts Escape
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
UK and EU Reach Agreement on Gibraltar's Schengen Integration
Israeli Finance Minister Imposes Banking Penalties on Palestinians
U.S. Inflation Rises to 2.4% in May Amid Trade Tensions
Trump's Policies Prompt Decline in Chinese Student Enrollment in U.S.
Global Oceans Near Record Temperatures as CO₂ Levels Climb
Trump Announces U.S.-China Trade Deal Covering Rare Earths
Smuggled U.S. Fuel Funds Mexican Cartels Amid Crackdown
Protests Erupt in Los Angeles with Symbolic Flag Burning
Trump Administration Issues New Travel Ban Targeting 12 Countries
Man Group Mandates Full-Time Office Return for Quantitative Analysts
JPMorgan Warns Analysts Against Accepting Future-Dated Job Offers
Builder.ai Faces Legal Scrutiny Amid Financial Misreporting Allegations
Japan Grapples with Rice Shortage Amid Soaring Prices
Goldman Sachs Reduces Risk Exposure Amid Market Volatility
HSBC Chairman Mark Tucker to Return to AIA as Non-Executive Chair
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Judge Blocks Trump's Ban on International Students at Harvard
Trump Proposes Travel Ban on 'Uncontrolled' Countries
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Eurozone Inflation Falls Below ECB Target to 1.9%
Call for a New Chapter in Globalisation Emerges
Blackstone and Rivals Diverge on Private Equity Strategy
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Netanyahu Accuses Western Leaders of 'Emboldening Hamas'
Escalating Trade Tensions and Market Reactions
OnlyFans Reportedly in Talks for $8 Billion Sale
JBS Gains Shareholder Approval for U.S. Stock Listing
Booz Allen Hamilton to Cut 2,500 Jobs Amid Federal Spending Reductions
Trump Signs Executive Orders to Accelerate Nuclear Energy Development
Harvard Temporarily Blocks Trump Administration's International Student Ban
Nippon Steel Forms Partnership with U.S. Steel, Headquarters to Remain in Pittsburgh
Trump Expands Tariff Threats to Apple and Samsung Devices
Oracle and OpenAI Plan $40 Billion Nvidia Chip Purchase for AI Data Center
Trump Threatens 50% Tariff on EU Goods, Markets React
×