The charges leading to the indictment of former President Donald Trump relate to a $130,000 payment to former porn star Stephanie Clifford.
The indictment has not yet been made public, but the payment is said to have been intended to induce Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, to keep quiet about a sexual relationship with Trump.
Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen paid Clifford through a shell company and was later reimbursed by Trump through his company, the Trump Organization, where the expense was booked under “legal fees.”
Since the payment took place in the middle of the election campaign, it could also violate US election campaign laws, as it could be considered to have been made with the aim of helping Trump’s candidacy.
Trump himself denies, but Michael Cohen has admitted that he paid the money and pleaded guilty in 2018 to campaign finance crimes, among other things.
Prosecutors in New York are reportedly expected to charge Trump with accounting violations, which in New York state can be both a misdemeanor and a felony. The latter can lead to a prison sentence, but then the prosecutors usually also need to be able to show that the crime was committed with the aim of covering up other crimes or committing new crimes.