Former President Donald Trump issued a late-night TruthSocial video in response to an anticipated indictment over a dalliance from more than a decade ago, courtesy of Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg. Bragg appears to be pursuing a case that former DA Cyrus Vance, Jr. chose to pass on – presumably because there was not enough meat on the bone to prosecute Trump. It was earlier anticipated that an indictment and subsequent arrest would happen today, Tuesday, March 21, but according to law enforcement officials, this timeline now seems highly unlikely.
Fox & Friends hosts revealed during the Tuesday morning show that sources had told the cable news outlet that another witness will testify before the grand jury Wednesday as part of New York City’s investigation into former-President Donald Trump. “On top of anticipating another witness, law enforcement officials tell Fox News that they do not expect an arrest to be made today,” correspondent Alexandria Hoff explained.
Multiple reports now suggest that any indictment would probably come next week after the grand jury weighs the witness statements. However, there was a surprise witness testifying on behalf of Trump on Monday that could play into the timeline deliberations.
The Associated Press reports:
“A New York grand jury investigating Donald Trump appeared to be hearing from final witnesses… Testimony from Robert Costello, a lawyer who had a falling out with the key government witness in the Trump investigation, came as the grand jury that for months has been investigating Trump over hush money paid to a porn star during his 2016 campaign appeared to be wrapping up its work.”
The “key government witness” just happens to be Trump’s former “fixer” Michael Cohen. Costello was Cohen’s legal advisor. He stated that whatever his former client said to the jury was undercut by direct statements made to himself in 2018. Essentially, the testimony of Costello was designed to paint Cohen as unreliable. He said, “there’s 321 emails; you need to see each and every email, which follow in chronological fashion and give you the life history of Michael Cohen dealing with our firm.”
Whether Mr. Costello’s testimony or the testimony of the witness believed to be appearing on Wednesday ultimately sway the grand jury’s decision is – as Donald Rumsfeld was wont to say – a case of “unknown unknowns.” Liberty Nation Legal Affairs Editor Scott D. Cosenza, Esq. asserts in an examination of the legal practicalities and ramifications that “the decision to charge Trump is a political one, not a criminal justice or public safety charge.” So the matter rests on how much confidence DA Bragg has in both his case and his ability to weather the near-certain ensuing storms it brings.
In his video tirade late last evening Mr. Trump lambasted the four investigations currently taking place as a continuation of the “disgusting witch hunt” that has plagued his presidential campaigns. It was vintage Trump complete with offensive nicknames assigned to his adversaries. In closing out his address to supporters he added the coda, “Our enemies are desperate to stop us because they know we are the only ones who can stop them, and they know it strongly. Looking at the polls, we’re — not me, but we — are up by so much you can’t even believe it.”
