Marh 13, 2023
Former President Donald Trump has been invited by the Manhattan District Attorney to appear next week before a grand jury investigating his business affairs—an offer that may mark a significant development years after the start of the probe, three people with knowledge of the proceedings told The Washington Post on Thursday, March 9.
They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter.
The grand jury notification—alerting Trump of his opportunity to appear before the secret panel—could signify that the state prosecutor’s investigation is winding down. It remains unclear whether Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg will seek an indictment at the end of the process.
In New York State, the target of a criminal investigation that has not yet resulted in an arrest can request this type of notification when a case against him or her is being heard by a grand jury—if they know independently that proceedings are underway. The requirement is designed to give the target a chance to be heard by the panel in his own defense. Defense attorneys generally consider it risky for a client to testify in that scenario.
“Everyone will advise him not to go in,” said a Trump adviser who is one of the three people with knowledge of the situation that confirmed the notification. “We’ll see what he does.” The notification was first reported by The New York Times.
Bragg’s office convened the grand jury in order to evaluate business-related matters—including Trump’s role in hush money payments to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign—that were classified as a legal expense, people with knowledge of the investigation have said. The long-running probe appeared to gain traction in recent months after seeming dormant for much of last year.
A spokesperson for the district attorney declined to comment.
Trump issued a lengthy, rambling statement in which he denied having an affair with Daniels and accused prosecutors of trying to “get Trump.”
Research contact: @washingtonpost
