Trump claims the statute of limitations has ALREADY passed in the Stormy Daniels case, as his ally Robert Costello prepares to testify against Michael Cohen before the grand jury with the former president preparing for charges.
- Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday that the statute of limitations is two years.
- He also said ‘there was no crime’ in relation to payments to Stormy Daniels
- Ally Robert Costello is expected to be one of the last witnesses to testify before the Manhattan grand jury on Monday.
Donald Trump said early Monday that the statute of limitations on the charges he is expecting in the Stormy Daniels case has passed, as his ally prepared to appear before the grand jury.
The former president wrote on Truth Social: ‘That is MANY years beyond the Statute of Limitations which, in this case, is TWO YEARS. More importantly, THERE WAS NO CRIME!
He posted that attorney Robert Costello was set to testify before a Manhattan grand jury investigating secret money payments made to the porn star, for which Trump says he will be arrested Tuesday.
Costello, a Trump ally, could make the president’s case that he should not be impeached and attack the prosecution’s star witness, Michael Cohen.
It could be one of the last testimony panel members hear before a decision is announced on whether to impeach Trump.
Donald Trump said early Monday that the statute of limitations on the charges he is expecting in the Stormy Daniels case has passed, as his ally prepared to appear before the grand jury.
The former president wrote on Truth Social: ‘That is MANY years beyond the Statute of Limitations which, in this case, is TWO YEARS. More importantly, THERE WAS NO CRIME!
The two-year statute of limitations that Trump is referring to is for accounting fraud in connection with the Trump Organization’s reimbursement of Cohen for paying Daniels $130,000.
The hush payment, just before the 2016 election, was over the adult film actress’s claim that she had an affair with Trump.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is investigating claims that Trump and his business concealed the real purpose of the payments and instead falsely presented them as legal advance payments.
Trump said Saturday that he expects to be arrested on those charges, which carry a four-year prison sentence, on Tuesday.
Accounting fraud, only a misdemeanor in New York, has a statute of limitations of two years as a misdemeanor, but five years as a felony.
Under New York law, that can be extended if the defendant spends extended periods outside the jurisdiction.
Trump lived in the White House until January 2021 and spends most of the year in Florida at his Mar-a-Lago club.
The New York Times also reported that the statute of limitations was extended by one year during the COVID pandemic.
Manhattan prosecutors may also be considering another charge that Trump violated state election laws with the payments.
The suggestion would be that Trump paid Daniels to keep quiet about the alleged affair for the benefit of his election campaign.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office asked Costello to appear after he said he had information that raised questions about the credibility of Cohen.
He briefly acted as Cohen’s legal counsel after the FBI raided Cohen’s home and apartment in 2018.
At the time, Cohen was under investigation for both tax evasion and payments he helped orchestrate in 2016 to buy the silence of two women who claimed they had sexual encounters with Trump.
He posted that attorney Robert Costello was set to testify before a Manhattan grand jury investigating secret money payments made to the porn star, for which Trump says he will be arrested Tuesday.
Costello (left) was asked to appear by the Manhattan district attorney’s office after he said he had information that raised questions about Cohen’s credibility. He is pictured with members of Steve Bannon’s legal team after the former Trump aide was indicted for contempt of Congress.