Prosecution of Donald Trump in New York main subject Stormy Daniels–Donald Trump scandal
Proceedings
Indictment
The Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Trump on March 30. The indictment was filed with the New York Supreme Court (which is the ordinary trial court for felonies in the state of New York and not the final court of appeal for the state) at the end of the business day on March 30. The charges were under seal until published when Trump was arraigned in the Manhattan Criminal Court. The charges are related to Trump's payment to Stormy Daniels as hush money, which could be considered a violation of campaign finance rules under federal law because it helped his election bid. The payment was listed in his business records as a "legal expense" payable to Michael Cohen, whereas the indictment alleges that the payments to Cohen were really to reimburse Cohen for the earlier, allegedly illicit, payment to Daniels. Falsifying business records is a misdemeanor under New York state law and can be a felony if committed to cover up another crime. This requires the prosecution office to link a crime committed under state law to one committed under federal law.