Former United States President Donald Trump was indicted by a New York grand jury Thursday for his role in arranging hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels during his presidential campaign in 2016.
Thursday’s news marks the first time a former U.S. president will face criminal charges. The indictment remains sealed but stems from an investigation into Michael Cohen’s $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels before the presidential election. Cohen’s reimbursement was reportedly labeled a legal expense, but Trump’s company did not list it in campaign expense reports. Stormy Daniels was reportedly paid as part of a nondisclosure agreement before she could go public with her alleged affair with the former president. Cohen claimed he made the payment under the direction of Trump, and a bonus was included in his reimbursement. Cohen ultimately pleaded guilty to campaign finance and tax fraud charges in 2018.