These Grand Jury Witnesses Could Bring Down Donald Trump

A grand jury hearing evidence about former President Donald Trump's alleged hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels is believed to be nearing the end of its work as it hears from its final witnesses.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has been looking into whether $130,000 that Trump allegedly arranged for his former attorney, Michael Cohen, to pay Daniels to keep their alleged affair a secret ahead of the 2016 election amounted to a campaign violation.

Investigators are also examining if any records were falsified when Cohen was reimbursed for the money, which was listed in Trump Organization records as legal fees. Trump denies wrongdoing and denies having an affair with Daniels.

It was previously suggested by Trump that he could be arrested on Tuesday as part of the probe. However, it later emerged that the grand jury would not be making an announcement of any potential indictment that day as it has another witness to hear from on Wednesday at least.

A number of people have already testified to the grand jury as part of the probe, which could result in Trump becoming the first former U.S president to be charged with a crime.

Arguably, the key witness for the prosecution is Cohen, who was convicted in 2018 on federal charges in connection with the payment to Daniels.

Cohen, who is now a vocal and frequent critic of the former president, denied that his testimony was merely about "revenge" against Trump.

"This is all about accountability. He needs to be held accountable for his dirty deeds," Cohen told reporters prior to his first appearance in front of the grand jury on March 13.

A number of other people have also testified as part of the probe, including David Pecker, the former head of the company that publishes the National Enquirer tabloid who was said to have turned down the chance to buy Daniels' story about the alleged affair, and Dylan Howard, a former National Enquirer editor who played a central role in burying stories that could be damaging to Trump.

Other figures who testified are Jeffrey McConney, a longtime Trump Organization executive, and Daniels' lawyer, Keith Davidson.

Two key figures in the investigation who have not testified are Trump and Daniels.

Trump was invited to testify in what was the strongest indication that the grand jury investigation was drawing to a close, but he declined the offer.

Daniels' lawyer confirmed that the adult film star had spoken to the district attorney's office to answer questions and agreed to make herself available as a witness, although it appears she did not testify.

On Monday, Trump said the grand jury testimony from lawyer Robert Costello was successful in discrediting the evidence put forward by Cohen.

Costello, who previously represented a number of Trump allies such as Rudy Guiliani and Steve Bannon and was once a legal adviser for Cohen, said he intended to tell the grand jury that Cohen "couldn't tell the truth if you put a gun to his head."

In a post on Truth Social following Costello's appearance in New York, Trump said: "It is being said that disbarred lawyer Michael Cohen was put out to dry today after his highly respected former attorney and legal adviser, Robert Costello, made a great impression not only on the D.A.'s Office, but the grand jury itself.

"He is known to be a great lawyer and highly honorable man. He stated to the media that he could no longer listen to the lies that Cohen was spreading. He told the TRUTH, with papers, documents, and backup. He left ZERO doubt. THE D.A. WILL DO THE RIGHT THING!"

Cohen was summoned by prosecutors to the New York court on Monday in case he needed to rebuke Costello's testimony but was not called to speak in front of the grand jury.

After the former president said he would be arrested on Tuesday as part of the investigation, Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina told Newsweek that next week instead "looks like the way it will be" regarding a potential arraignment.