According to reports, the grand jury investigating the hush money scandal involving former President Donald Trump is taking a one-month break. As a result, any indictment would most likely occur in late April at the earliest.
Due in large part to a previously scheduled break, the jurors are not anticipated to hear testimony regarding Trump’s alleged involvement in a hush payment to a porn star for the ensuing month, a source with knowledge of the proceedings told Politico on Wednesday.
Panelists are set to consider evidence in another case on Thursday, after not meeting on Wednesday, the source said. They are slated to convene on a different case on Monday and Wednesday of next week and will be off on Thursday for the Passover holiday. A break for the two weeks following was reportedly programmed back when the jurors first convened in January.
However, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has the authority to ask the grand jury to meet during the scheduled hiatus.
Bragg is investigating any involvement the ex-president had in a $130,000 payment his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen made to silence porn star Stormy Daniels on an alleged affair with Trump.
The grand jury generally meets on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. They last met on Monday of this week and heard testimony from former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker.
Several of the grand jury’s hearings on Trump’s case have been canceled since the ex-president announced on social media March 18 that he expected to be arrested. Jurors have convened on the case only the past two Mondays.
A spokesperson for Bragg’s office declined to comment to Politico on the apparent monthlong break from the Trump hush money case.
There were recent signs that the grand jury was getting close to voting on whether to indict Trump, especially when they offered him the chance to testify. But there is no deadline to indict Trump.