Former Vice President Mike Pence called the Manhattan grand jury’s decision to indict former President Donald Trump on a campaign finance issue an “outrage” in an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that aired on Thursday night.
Pence, who would face his former boss in the GOP primary if he decides to run for president, said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation into Trump for alleged hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels appears to be a “political prosecution.”
“I think the unprecedented indictment of a former president of the United States on a campaign finance issue is an outrage,” Pence said.
In a historic development, Trump on Thursday became the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges. The charges concern a $130,000 payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, and another $150,000 payment made to former Playboy model Karen McDougal.
TRUMP INDICTED AFTER MANHATTAN DA PROBE FOR HUSH MONEY PAYMENTS
Former Vice President Mike Pence said the criminal indictment of former President Donald Trump is an “outrage.” (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Hush money payments made to both McDougal and Daniels were revealed and reported by Fox News in 2018. Those payments had been investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York and by the Federal Election Commission
Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York opted out of charging Trump related to the Stormy Daniels payment in 2019, even as Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen implicated him as part of his plea deal for making an unlawful campaign contribution. Cohen claims that he arranged those payments to McDougal and Daniels at Trump’s behest. The Federal Election Commission also tossed its investigation into the matter in 2021. Trump has denied any wrongdoing.
A Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump on Thursday following District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation into alleged hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump has denied all wrongdoing and called the investigation a “witch hunt.” (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“This evening we contacted Mr. Trump’s attorney to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan D.A.’s Office for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal,” a spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said in a…
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