Montana Sen. Steve Daines, Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), strongly denounced reports that the Manhattan District Attorney plans to indict Trump over alleged hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign.
“[The Manhattan DA] should focus on the violent criminals terrorizing New York instead of pursuing politically motivated charges against [Trump],” tweeted Daines on Sunday before saying that the New York Times called the arrest “risky legal theory.”
Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) speaks during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Indeed, the New York Times wrote last week that an indictment of Donald Trump would be no slam dunk for the prosecutors and that a conviction would be “challenging.”
“Even if Mr. Trump is indicted, convicting him or sending him to prison will be challenging,” wrote the Times. “The case against the former president hinges on an untested and therefore risky legal theory involving a complex interplay of laws, all amounting to a low-level felony.”
“If Mr. Trump were ultimately convicted, he would face a maximum sentence of four years, though prison time would not be mandatory,” it added. “Mr. Trump’s lawyers are also sure to attack Mr. Cohen, who in 2018 pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the hush money.”
On Saturday, the former president said in a Truth Social post that “illegal leaks” from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office indicated that he would be arrested on Tuesday for alleged hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal. He also called for supporters to get out and protest:
ILLEGAL LEAKS FROM A CORRUPT & HIGHLY POLITICAL MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE, WHICH HAS ALLOWED NEW RECORDS TO BE SET IN VIOLENT CRIME & WHOSE LEADER IS FUNDED BY GEORGE SOROS, INDICATE THAT, WITH NO CRIME BEING ABLE TO BE PROVEN, & BASED ON AN OLD & FULLY DEBUNKED (BY NUMEROUS OTHER PROSECUTORS!) FAIRYTALE, THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK. PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!
Republicans have rallied around the former president since the announcement, arguing that such an arrest would be a political abuse of power and likening it to Banana Republic.
My full statement on the illegal leaks stating that President Trump will be arrested next week: pic.twitter.com/VaTNVMjXpd
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) March 18, 2023
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