The Manhattan District Attorney’s office will begin presenting evidence to a grand jury Monday about Donald Trump’s alleged role in paying adult movie stars during his 2016 presidential campaign, a person familiar with the matter told The New York Times.
The development brings prosecutors closer to being able to file criminal charges against Trump, marking a major escalation in the longest-running criminal investigation into the former president’s relationship with porn star Stormy Daniels.
The district attorney’s office declined to comment on the report.
The saga began in 2018 when The Wall Street Journal published a bombshell report stating that Michael Cohen, who later became Trump’s lawyer, paid Daniels $130,000 a month before the 2016 election to silence him from speaking about the allegations.
Cohen later admitted to making payments in violation of campaign finance laws, and was sentenced to three years in federal prison. Trump, however, has denied that he directed Cohen to pay Daniels, and said the payment did not come from the campaign.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.