The grand jury tasked with investigating former President Donald Trump’s alleged payment of hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels will not meet Thursday as scheduled, according to Business Insider.
The grand jury has been meeting on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays since January, and is meeting Thursday to cover a different case, Business Insider reported, citing anonymous sources.
The next time the grand jury will meet will likely be on Monday, meaning the earliest the jury will make a decision on Trump’s indictment will be next week.
Wednesday’s meeting was also cancelled, and jurors were told to not come in until Thursday. (RELATED: Trump Hearing Pushed Back, Delaying Potential Indictment: Reports)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 23: People walk past Trump Tower on March 23, 2023 in New York City. DA Alvin Bragg for the second day in a row has canceled the meeting of the grand jury that has been hearing evidence of his investigation into former President Donald Trump’s involvement in a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 presidential election. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Trump said Saturday on Truth Social that he expected to be arrested Tuesday, and called his supporters to protest. The indictment never came. A majority vote from the 23-member grand jury is required for Trump to be arrested.
The indictment of the former president on charges relating to Daniels may also be legally fraught, as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg would have to tie Trump’s alleged “intent to defraud” to a second crime for the alleged crime to be a felony charge, The New York Times reported.
The second alleged crime could be an alleged violation of New York State election law — and the alleged hush money was paid before the 2016 election — but that tie would be a “novel legal theory for any criminal case,” especially for a former president, according to the outlet.