NEW YORK: The New York grand jury probing former President Donald Trump’s alleged role in a hush-money payment to a porn star is not expected to reconvene on the matter for most of April as it takes a pre-scheduled break, US media reported on Wednesday, citing sources.
The grand jury has been hearing evidence from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office about possible crimes related to a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.
The payment was in exchange for her silence about a sexual encounter Daniels said she had with Trump a decade earlier. If indicted Trump, who denies an affair took place, would become the first US president to face a criminal charge in court.
The Washington Post, citing two people familiar with the matter, said the grand jury hiatus was due in part to a pre-scheduled two-week break starting April 10, following the April 9 Easter holiday.
That period also includes parts of the Jewish Passover festival and the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The earliest jurors are expected to hear the case again is April 24, the Post reported. Politico and the Associated Press reported similar timeframes.
A law enforcement source told Reuters the grand jury is not expected to reconvene on the Trump case until after Easter, without providing a specific date.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Grand jury proceedings are secret. The grand jury is believed to meet generally on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons.
Trump falsely claimed he would be arrested in the case last week. He has repeatedly attacked Bragg and warned of potential “death and destruction” if charged with a crime.
Trump faces several other criminal investigations, including one tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the US Capitol by his supporters. He maintains his false claims that his 2020 defeat was the result of fraud.
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