Manhattan grand jury votes to indict Donald Trump

Sensation as Manhattan grand jury votes to INDICT Trump over $130,000 hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels: Becomes FIRST EVER former president to be criminally indicted

• Donald Trump has become the first former president to face criminal charges
• It marks the end of a years long investigation into hush money paid to Daniels
• It means Trump faces arrest and the prospect of humiliating court appearances
• Trump indictment LIVE: New York jury brings criminal charges

A Manhattan grand jury has dramatically voted to indict Donald Trump over $130,000 in hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Trump has become the first ever former president to face criminal charges, which are expected in the coming days.

It marks the end of a years long investigation into hush money paid to adult movie star Stormy Daniels in 2016, allegedly to buy her silence about their affair.

The indictment means he is the first former president to be charged with a crime and it takes the country into uncharted legal and political territory, with a candidate for president now facing arrest and the prospect of humiliating court appearances.

It marks a victory for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office, which has been probing a $130,000 hush money payment made by Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, to Daniels, 44, during the 2016 presidential campaign.

The Trump camp was quick to blast the indictment on Thursday night, with Eric Trump telling DailyMail.com it is ‘the opportunistic targeting of a political opponent’.

Meanwhile it also emerged on Thursday New York prosecutors were looking to charge Trump over a $150,000 payment made to another former Playboy model.

Bragg’s team has questioned grand jury witnesses about cash given to Karen McDougal, who was Playboy magazine ‘Playmate of the Year’ in 1998. 

A Manhattan grand jury has voted to indicted former president Donald Trump over hush money paid to pornstar Stormy Daniels 

A grand jury has been hearing evidence about allegations that Donald Trump paid $130,000 to adult movie star Stormy Daniels to buy her silence over their affair

Meanwhile it also emerged on Thursday New York prosecutors were looking to charge Trump over a $150,000 payment made to another former Playboy model

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg has been widely criticized for his handling of the case. Many say it has no legs and is driven by his own political hatred of Trump

Eric Trump told DailyMail.com: ‘This is the opportunistic targeting of a political opponent in a campaign year.

‘They are ruthlessly attacking my father because he dared challenge the political elite. This is Exhibit A to the decline of American Law.’

Trump has always denied having an affair with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.

The allegations came to light when Trump was in office, triggering a federal investigation.

In 2017 Cohen pleaded guilty to eight federal charges, including tax evasion, fraud and campaign finance violations, and he told a court in Manhattan that Trump had directed him to make the payments.

But the investigation disappeared from the headlines as other legal cases focused on Trump’s family business and his actions around the Jan. 6, 2001, riot hog the spotlight. But it never went away.

Although the Justice Department decided not to charge Trump and the Federal Election Commission was deadlocked over taking action over claims that the payment amounted to an undeclared campaign contribution, the Manhattan DA was still looking at the case.

And it took on fresh momentum early in 2023 when Cohen met with investigators from the Manhattan district attorney’s office and it emerged that a grand jury was hearing evidence.

Such hearings are conducted in secret. But one theory was that it was probing Trump for falsifying business records in connection with the payment, by allegedly misreporting a campaign donation as a legal fees.

Natalie Harp (left) was seen on the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach on Wednesday with the former president on Wednesday. She was pictured showing Donald Trump something on her phone 

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is one of at least 75 liberal district attorneys who have received millions in funding from George Soros-backed political action committees

In 2017 former Trump lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to eight federal charges, including tax evasion, fraud and campaign finance violations, and he told a court in Manhattan that Trump had directed him to make the payments

Trump used a social media post on Saturday to call on his supporters to protest as he claimed he expects to be arrested as early as Tuesday. Aides say they do not know the timing

The New York Young Republicans Club is holding a protest on Monday evening. ‘Join us in peaceful protest of Alvin Bragg’s heinous attack on President Donald J. Trump … ‘ it says

That amounts to a misdemeanor. But that rises to a felony if it is done in conjunction with a second crime, such as a campaign finance violation. 

Then in March Bragg’s office asked Trump to testify, in the clearest sign yet that he could be indicted.

The former president confirmed as much in a social media post at the weekend, calling on supporters to rise up in protest.

‘The far and away leading Republican candidate and former president of the United States of America will be arrested on Tuesday of next week,’ he posted on his Truth Social platform. ‘Protest, take our nation back!’

The final act was reportedly the repeat testimony of Trump lawyer Robert Costello on Monday.

He was asked to appear by the former president’s legal team because he may have evidence that contradicted Cohen’s account. Privately Trump’s allies are confident that the case has little substance.

New York Police Department staff install barricades around the Lower Manhattan court complex ahead of former President Donald Trump’s anticipated indictment

An insider told DailyMail.com that it strengthens him politically, rallying the base in his support. ‘It is very obvious that this is helpful,’ he said.

He added that to get the second charge, elevating the case to a felony, prosecutors would have to show that Trump wanted to cover up an affair to help his campaign, even though the business mogul’s love life had been frontpage news in New York for decades.

‘Of course no one wants to be indicted, but it is helpful politically and legally it’s not even that much of a threat because the case is so weak and looks nakedly political,’ added the source. 

Legal experts have also weighed in on the case’s failings.   

‘Although it may be politically popular, the case is legally pathetic,’ said Jonathan Turley, Shapiro Professof of Public Interest Law at the George Washington  University in a column for The Hill. 

‘Bragg is struggling to twist state laws to effectively prosecute a federal case long ago rejected by the Justice Department against Trump over his payment of @hush money@ to former stripper Stormy Daniels.

‘In 2018 (yes, that is how long this theory has been around), I wrote how difficult such a federal case would be under existing election laws. Now, six years later, the same theory may be shoehorned into a state claim.’

Meanwhile on Thursday it emerged Manhattan DA Bragg’s team has questioned grand jury witnesses about cash given to Karen McDougal, who was Playboy magazine ‘Playmate of the Year’ in 1998.

McDougal claims she had a ten-month affair with Trump which began in 2006. Trump’s office released a statement on Thursday branding the development a ‘hoax’.

Evidence about payments to McDougal could either be used to bring new charges or establish a ‘pattern of behavior’ for the Daniels case, sources told the Wall Street Journal which revealed the development.

A spokesman for Trump said: ‘It is sad to see radical Democrats and their partners in the media try to resurrect a dead witch hunt.

‘Just like with every other hoax that President Trump has been targeted with, there is no crime, except for election interference through weaponization of our justice system against President Trump and his supporters.’

Bragg’s office and McDougal’s lawyer hadn’t commented on the latest development on Thursday afternoon.

American Media Inc, the owner of the National Enquirer, paid $150,000 to McDougal in 2016 for exclusive rights to the story about her alleged affair with Trump, which he denies. But the purchase was a ‘catch and kill’ tactic to prevent the story being made public.

The Federal Election Commission later ruled that the company and its former president, David Pecker, struck the deal with Trump officials in order to suppress the story and ‘prevent it from influencing the election’.

The FEC ruling detailed how Pecker and AMI met with Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen to help make negative stories about Trump and his relationships go away.

And it concluded that AMI ‘coordinated’ with the Trump campaign in paying $150,000 to McDougal. Pecker gave evidence to the Trump grand jury on Monday.  

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker (far right) is shown trying to hide from the press as he leaves the Lefkowitz State Office Building on Monday after giving testimony

Meet Trump’s VERY glamorous new assistant – who credits Donald with saving her LIFE after she contracted cancer: Natalie Harp quit hosting role at conservative One America Network to join ex-president’s communications team

Donald Trump’s glamorous assistant left her hosting job at the conservative One America Network to take a plum role in the former president’s communications team. 

Natalie Harp, 31, was the second OAN employee to jump ship for Trump’s team – after Christina Bobb left a year ago – and took up the job in March 2022, having quit as host of The Real Story.

The young blonde comes from a devout Christian family and recently tragically lost her father, Dr Robert Harp, an esteemed and highly-respected entrepreneur and executive at the Biola University in Los Angeles. 

Harp is often seen accompanying the 2024 presidential candidate, 76, on his daily golfing trips, riding in her own golf cart that is specially equipped with a laptop and computer so she can readily show Trump positive stories about himself. 

On Wednesday, the pair were seen cruising around Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, where Harp was seen wearing a chic pink tennis outfit with a black skirt and skintight hot pink top with a matching hat. She accessorized with a comfortable pair of white tennis shoes. 

She often rides in her own golf cart that is specially equipped with a laptop and computer so she can readily show Trump positive stories about himself

Natalie Harp, pictured with Donald Trump in 2019 at the Faith & Freedom Coalition Conference in Washington, credits a law signed by the former president for helping her beat bone cancer

‘I’m not dying from cancer any more thanks to President Trump, I’m living with cancer,’ Harp said in 2019 after claiming the Right to Try law allowed her to seek new bone cancer treatment

At one point during their outing, she was seen pulling him over to show him something on her phone after climbing up a small hill to get to his own cart. 

Harp’s links to Trump go back several years – and in 2019 she credited a healthcare policy introduced by the then-President for saving her life as she battle bone cancer.

She said the Right to Try law, signed by Trump in 2018, allowed her to seek an effective treatment for her Stage 2 bone cancer after others had failed. Harp was diagnosed with cancer in 2015 and tried chemotherapy twice unsuccessfully before finding ‘another oncologist who was willing to try a different approach.’

‘I’m not dying from cancer any more thanks to President Trump, I’m living with cancer,’ Harp said in 2019.

After forging a successful career at OAN – where he segments taking aim at Democrat policies were often peppered references to her faith – Harp was poached by Trump. The former president was likely also taken by her regular tweets praising him and sharing his regular statements, including claims the election was stolen.

The 31-year-old is now often seen by the former president’s side and runs his social media accounts. Harp has a desk outside of Trump’s office and is readily available to follow him where he needs to go. 

‘She is indicative of the people around him who just love him,’ one advisor told the Washington Post in December. ‘Love him too much.’  

Harp said: ‘Like other staffers, I do spend time with him. He is extremely popular with the people, I see that by being with him.’ 

Harp said she was able to get effective treatment for stage 2 bone cancer after Trump signed the Right to Try law. After a career as an anchor at OAN, she joined Trump’s team in March 2022

Harp, who comes from a devout Christian family, was known on OAN for her segments that were critical of President Joe Biden. She also often made references to her Christian faith

Harp is the daughter of the late Dr Robert Harp and his wife, Jill. Her parents were married for 37 years before Dr Harp passed away on July 17, 2020. Harp shared a rare personal post to her social media channels following his death, posting a tribute to Dr Harp written by her mom

Harp also spoke about her cancer battle at the 2020 Republican National Convention in a speech she later pinned to the top of her Twitter page. 

‘When I failed the chemotherapies that were on the market, no one wanted me in their clinical trials. They didn’t give me the right to try experimental treatments, Mr. President. You did, and without you, I’d have died waiting for them to be approved,’ she said at the time. 

Harp is the daughter of the late Dr Robert Harp and his wife, Jill. Her parents were married for 37 years before Dr Harp passed away on July 17, 2020

She claimed she was able to get treatment under the Right to Try law – which Trump signed into law in 2018 – that allows patients to apply to use experimental drugs that have not been FDA-approved. 

The claim that the law saved Harp’s life raised eyebrows among some medical experts. Harp said she used an ‘an FDA-approved immunotherapy drug for an unapproved use.’ 

Harp is the daughter of the late Dr Robert Harp and his wife, Jill. Her parents were married for 37 years before Dr Harp passed away on July 17, 2020.

Most of Harp’s online presence is dedicated to her professional work, but in August 2020 she shared a moving tribute to her father which was written by her mom. 

In an online post that referred at length to the family’s faith, Jill wrote: ‘Today I honor my loving and faithful husband—and thank God for the 37 years we shared together as husband and wife on earth—as I count the days to the eternity I will share with my soulmate forever. As I inscribed on Bob’s wedding band: Our love is eternal.’

Dr Harp was the Executive Director in the Office of Innovation at Biola University, a private, evangelical Christian institution. 

Harp has her own golf buggie that serves as a mobile office. She regularly follows Trump while he plays gold at Mar-a-Lago and shares the latest news about him

Harp is often seen accompanying the 2024 presidential candidate, 76, on his daily golfing trips, riding in her own golf cart that is specially equipped with a laptop and computer so she can readily show Trump positive stories about himself

Harp (pictured on Wednesday), who was diagnosed with Stage 2 bone cancer in 2015, had tried chemotherapy twice unsuccessfully before finding ‘another oncologist who was willing to try a different approach’

Harp (pictured on Wednesday), who originally hails from California, graduated from Liberty University – a Christian school – with a business degree in 2015.

Harp was seen wearing a chic pink tennis outfit with a black skirt and skintight hot pink top with a matching hat. She accessorized with a comfortable pair of white tennis shoes for the occasion and her phone

Harp, who originally hails from California, graduated from Liberty University – a Christian school – with a business degree in 2015. 

She claimed the school’s coursework helped her challenge her and develop her as a Christian woman, the school said. 

‘What I especially appreciate about Liberty’s vision is that every field of knowledge is treated as a mission field — whether in education, business, or politics. Doing God’s work is not limited to ministry in churches or foreign countries but deep in the heart of our own neighborhoods — and yes, even the DC Swamp,’ she said.

Harp also has a brother, Preston Harp, who describes himself on Facebook as a ‘musician, traveler, news archiver, independent researcher/investigative journalist, internationalist’.

Preston is vocal about his support for Palestine and frequently shares criticisms of Israel to his profile.

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