Prosecutors signal criminal charges for Trump likely

NEW YORK — The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office recently signaled to former President Donald Trump’s lawyers he could face criminal charges for his role in the payment of hush money to a porn star, the strongest indication yet prosecutors are nearing an indictment, according to four people with knowledge of the matter.

The prosecutors offered Trump the chance to testify next week before the grand jury that has been hearing evidence in the potential case, the people said. Such offers almost always indicate an indictment is close; it would be unusual for District Attorney Alvin Bragg to notify a potential defendant without ultimately seeking charges against him.

In New York, potential defendants have the right to answer questions in the grand jury before they are indicted, but they rarely testify, and Trump is likely to decline the offer. His lawyers could also meet privately with prosecutors in hopes of fending off criminal charges.

Any case would mark the first indictment of a former U.S. president, and could upend the 2024 presidential race.

The Manhattan inquiry, which has spanned nearly five years, centers on a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign. The payment was made by Michael Cohen, Trump’s former fixer, who was later reimbursed by Trump from the White House. Cohen is expected to testify in front of the grand jury but has not yet done so.

The district attorney’s office has already questioned at least six other people before the grand jury, according to several other people with knowledge of the inquiry.

Bragg’s prosecutors have not finished the grand jury presentation, and he could still decide against seeking an indictment.

Trump has previously said that the prosecutors are engaged in a “witch hunt” against him that began before he became president, and has called Bragg, a Democrat who is Black, a politically motivated “racist.”