Trump, Set to Become the First US President to Be Indicted?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Former U.S. President Donald Trump is on the verge of becoming the first president in American history to be indicted.

The Washington Post (WP) reported on the 25th (local time), citing sources, that the Manhattan District Attorney's Office in New York State has convened a grand jury to indict former President Trump.

The grand jury is scheduled to hold meetings three times a week for the next six months to conduct hearings on the overall case involving former President Trump. WP explained, "This indicates that the Manhattan prosecutors have made significant progress in their investigation over the past two years and have secured evidence to prove the guilt of at least key aides or his business entities, if not Trump himself."

The Trump camp, which has denied the charges while criticizing the prosecution as a political investigation, has not commented on this matter.

New York State has been conducting two separate investigations into former President Trump. The Manhattan prosecutors began investigating after Michael Cohen, Trump's lawyer, admitted to allegations that Trump paid large hush money to women who claimed to have had extramarital affairs with him ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

This investigation expanded to cover potential fraud, tax evasion, and insurance fraud related to Trump's real estate business before his inauguration. Separately, New York State Attorney General Letitia James launched an investigation in 2019 after Cohen revealed allegations of asset inflation and tax reduction by the Trump Organization during congressional testimony.

Recently, the two investigative teams reportedly began full cooperation after securing some incriminating documents, including those showing that former President Trump received a tax reduction worth $21 million (approximately 23.6 billion KRW) by relinquishing real estate development rights on the outskirts of New York.

Rebecca LoPucki, a New York Law School professor and former Manhattan prosecutor, said, "The prosecutors must have secured enough witnesses and evidence to prove guilt," adding, "It appears the prosecutors are confident of winning."

If former President Trump is indicted on criminal charges, it will be the first among the various criminal allegations surrounding him. It will also be unprecedented for a former U.S. president to face criminal indictment. There had been speculation that Trump might issue a "preemptive pardon" before leaving office in January this year to prevent indictment after his term, but he ultimately did not do so.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.