Donald Trump grand jury is called off for Wednesday

A potential indictment of the former US president has been delayed, with any decision not expected now until next week.

A New York grand jury will not meet after all Wednesday, US media reported, delaying a decision on whether to charge former US President Donald Trump over hush money paid to a porn star.

The Manhattan grand jury investigating Donald Trump’s role in a hush-money payment to a porn star was instructed not to meet Wednesday, according to people familiar with the matter, delaying any potential indictment of the former president.

The district attorney’s office notified court officials Tuesday night about the change in plans, the people said. The grand jury could be called to reconvene Thursday, according to the people. It wasn’t clear what prompted the change.

A spokeswoman for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the office couldn’t comment on grand-jury matters.

The change in schedule was earlier reported by Insider.

The grand jury’s activities have been closely watched as the hush-money investigation into Mr. Trump, run by Mr. Bragg, nears its end. The jury could still hear from additional witnesses, or prosecutors could formally present charges, which is the final step before the panel votes on whether to indict.

Any potential indictment wouldn’t be public until it is unsealed by a judge. While the timing of any possible surrender by Mr. Trump is unknown, law-enforcement officials said they anticipated it likely wouldn’t happen this week.

Mr Trump has maintained his innocence over the matter and instead blamed a political witch hunt.

Mr. Trump has said he didn’t do anything wrong and accused Mr. Bragg, a Democrat, of damaging his electoral prospects. On Tuesday he criticized Michael Cohen, a key potential prosecution witness who served as his personal lawyer at the time of the payment, on the eve of the 2016 presidential election. “In the history of our Country there cannot have been a more damaged or less credible witness at trial than fully disbarred lawyer and felon, Michael Cohen,” Mr. Trump wrote on his social-media network. Over the weekend, he called on his supporters to protest.

Meanwhile, police have erected barricades around and near a lower Manhattan courthouse as people in the city and across the U.S. await the grand jury’s vote. Very few demonstrators of any political persuasion had gathered by mid-day Wednesday. Television-news crews packed the sidewalks near the court building, while reporters and a handful of lookers-on awaited the potential arrival of witnesses. A tour guide chaperoning a group past the scene asked the scrum, “any Trump sightings yet?” On a street corner across from the city’s Collect Pond Park, California painter John Paul Marcelo contemplated his canvas, adding a stroke of pale yellow to capture the late-morning light shining on the court buildings he was painting. “It’s the first time in American history that this is happening,” he said, referring to the potential indictment of a former president. “And if it does happen, I feel like that’s a super rare thing to paint.” The New York Police Department said it was ready to respond to any protests or counter protests. A department representative said there would be an uptick in uniformed officers in each of the city’s five boroughs. New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Monday the city was monitoring comments on social media and police were “making sure that there’s no inappropriate actions in the city.” The grand jury has been hearing testimony about the payment to porn star Stormy Daniels and its aftermath since late January. Robert Costello, a lawyer who briefly advised Mr. Cohen, appeared Monday at the request of Mr. Trump’s lawyers. He told reporters after his testimony that in 2018, Mr. Cohen said the payment to Ms. Daniels was intended to protect Mr. Trump’s wife.

Mr. Cohen has said publicly that Mr. Trump told him to pay Ms. Daniels to keep her from going public about an alleged affair with Mr. Trump, which he denies.

Prosecutors have considered charging Mr. Trump with falsifying business records because reimbursements to Mr. Cohen were falsely labeled as legal expenses.

Demonstrators hold a banner in front a group of journalists outside of the Criminal Courts Building as the grand jury continues to hear evidence against the former president.

All of the major players involved in the payment, including Mr. Cohen, have testified before the grand jury. While Ms. Daniels has met virtually with prosecutors, she hasn’t appeared before the panel.

At Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan Wednesday morning, barricades were present at the Fifth Avenue building, as well as at stores across the street. Inside, Trump Tower’s lobby was open to the public with a couple of police officers by the entrance.

Law-enforcement officials met this week to make security plans and the Secret Service is working with local authorities on discussions.

In Washington, D.C., the Metropolitan Police Department was monitoring the situation, according to a spokesman. He said he wasn’t aware of any plans related to the possible indictment. A representative for Capitol Police said Tuesday the department “cannot discuss potential security plans.”

WSJ