A Manhattan grand jury investigating allegations against former President Donald Trump is expected to meet Thursday to consider evidence in a different case, not Trump’s, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
That would suggest a decision on possible charges against Trump is unlikely before next week.
The 23 New Yorkers have been meeting up to three times a week — on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays — for more than two months in the Trump matter, but last convened to hear evidence in that case on Monday. On Wednesday, they were told not to come in, according to two sources, who did not say why that session was canceled.
Grand juries in New York are often asked to consider evidence in multiple cases.
The grand jury has been investigating whether Trump falsified business records when he allegedly directed his then-lawyer and “fixer” Michael Cohen to pay “hush money” to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.
It is not yet clear whether the grand jury members have any more witnesses they want to hear from, and when or if they will vote on indicting the former president, which would precede any arrest.
Trump set off a firestorm last weekend when he posted on social media that he expected to be arrested Tuesday. House Republicans have accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of abusing his prosecutorial discretion in potentially indicting Trump and have called on Bragg to answer questions before Congress and turn over documents related to the investigation.
The Manhattan D.A.’s office fired back on Thursday with a letter to the chairs of the Republican committees, saying their request for information “only came after Donald Trump created a false expectation that he would be arrested the next day and his lawyers reportedly urged you to intervene. Neither fact is a legitimate basis for congressional inquiry.” The office’s general counsel, Leslie Dubeck, went on to accuse the House Republicans of interfering in and trying to impede state law enforcement.
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