Justice Department ‘is irritated by Manhattan DA’s indictment of Donald Trump’
The Manhattan district attorney’s decision to indict Donald Trump has been “received with some skepticism and not a little concern” by the Justice Department, it was reported Thursday night.
Alvin Bragg’s intent to criminally charge the former president over his hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels was revealed Thursday, sparking consternation and anger at Mar-a-Lago and, according to The New York Times, in Washington DC.
The newspaper reported that “senior officials” in the Justice Department were concerned about the strength of Bragg’s case.
The case has not yet been made public, but it is believed to contain at least 30 charges related to the payment to Daniels shortly before the 2016 election. The payments could be considered campaign finance violations because they helped the Trump campaign, covering up his alleged affair, but they were not reported as campaign contributions.
In addition, Justice Department officials are concerned that the indictment of Trump by New York prosecutors could complicate the job of special counsel Jack Smith, appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate both classified documents from Mar-a-Lago as Trump’s actions in connection with efforts to overturn the election.
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg leaving his office Thursday night. A spokesperson said the office had contacted Trump’s lawyers to begin the process of bringing him to Manhattan.
Trump is also under investigation for his attempt to overturn the 2020 election, including his incitement to the crowd on January 6, 2021 (pictured)
Poll workers in Fulton County, Georgia, on January 5, 2021. Trump pressured Georgia officials to “find” votes for him.
Smith is investigating the January 6 riots and trying to pressure officials to change the vote count.
Before Christmas, Smith issued a subpoena to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to appear before a grand jury.
Trump, in a recorded phone call, suggested that Raffensperger “find” the votes needed to give him a victory in Georgia.
“I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,” Trump said.
The Justice Department had no comment on Trump’s accusation.
The White House has also declined to comment.
Trump criticized the impeachment and said Democrats would regret going after an innocent man when their supporters unseated them.
Meanwhile, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said it was in contact with Trump’s lawyers to arrange his surrender in New York.
A source told DailyMail.com that the head of Trump’s security detail recently traveled to Manhattan to review the arrangements and that the former president would likely be formally arrested next week.
That could be as soon as Tuesday, Susan Necheles, one of his lawyers, told the New York Times.
Although the indictment is sealed for now, CNN reported that it contained more than 30 criminal charges.
A Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump for money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels
Trump played nine holes of golf at his West Palm Beach club on Thursday. He is pictured here a day earlier with Natalie Harp, who helps manage his Truth social media account.
“Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to ‘get Trump,’ but now they have done the unthinkable: indicted a completely innocent person in an act of blatant election interference,” Trump said in a statement sent by email.
“Never before in our nation’s history has this been done.”
The indictment marks the end of a five-year investigation into cash paid to the adult film star in 2016, allegedly to buy her silence about her affair.
And it takes the country into uncharted political and legal territory.
Although being charged with a crime would not disqualify you from running for office, it means that a leading candidate in 2024 faces the humiliation of arrest.
A Bragg spokesman said talks had begun to bring Trump to New York.
“Tonight we contacted Mr. Trump’s attorney to arrange his delivery to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for arraignment in a Supreme Court indictment, which remains sealed,” they said.
Earlier, Trump played nine holes of golf at his Florida club as usual Thursday morning. But the 76-year-old did not stay for lunch even though his usual table was reserved.
A grand jury has been hearing evidence on allegations that Donald Trump paid $130,000 to adult film star Stormy Daniels to buy her silence about his affair.
Trump criticized the allegation in an emailed statement. He said this “witch hunt will backfire on Joe Biden” and predicted that Democrats would be ousted from office.
A source close to his Mar-a-Lago home said Trump’s team was ready with statements and messages on social media as soon as the indictment was filed.
“We had a plan in place and the plan was executed,” the source said.
‘Get substitutes, get content out.’
Within minutes, his sons Don Jr and Eric were live streaming or tweeting; appeals to raise funds followed; and an emailed statement from Trump himself hit inboxes soon after.
“I think this witch hunt will backfire on Joe Biden,” Trump said, before criticizing the Braggs.
‘The American people realize exactly what the radical left Democrats are doing here.
Everyone can see it.
‘So our Movement and our Party, united and strong, will first defeat Alvin Bragg, and then we will defeat Joe Biden, and we are going to remove each and every one of these crooked Democrats from office so that we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. . !’