America’s 45th president, Donald Trump, appears poised to become the nation’s first president to be indicted on criminal charges. Such a prosecution could have grave consequences for the nation’s justice system and the democratic election process, scholars and political leaders say.
After leaked information about the secret grand jury process made its way into news reports, talk of Trump’s impending indictment in New York ramped up last week. On March 18, Trump acknowledged that he expected to be indicted and arrested on March 21.
It was unclear whether the expected indictment could be delayed or changed after a new witness, attorney Robert Costello, came forward and testified to the grand jury on March 20. Costello raised concerns about the credibility and honesty of Michael Cohen, a former Trump attorney, who testified to the Manhattan grand jury on March 15 and is considered a key witness against Trump. Costello, Cohen’s former legal adviser, obtained an attorney-client privilege waiver from Cohen….