Why Did the Stormy Daniels Case Suddenly Go From Zero to 60?
Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg’s invitation to former President Donald Trump to testify before a grand jury about the Stormy Daniels hush money case is an about-face from his previous reluctance to charge Trump for the financial crimes prosecution that his predecessor Cyrus Vance had appeared to green-light. But the sudden appearance of Bragg’s newfound prosecutorial libido may not bode well for the potential prosecution given the challenges it is likely to face.
As reported by The New York Times, Bragg’s invitation to Trump signals that an indictment may be imminent because potential defendants in New York have the right to answer questions before a grand jury prior to indictment. Reports that former Trump “enforcer” Michael Cohen also will testify before the grand jury further signals that Bragg’s investigation is very active. But if Bragg is really so far along in the prosecution, then the speed of the process is cause for concern.
Keep in mind that the potential financial crimes case against Trump that Bragg derailed had been worked up by his predecessor Vance for years. Vance began that investigation in 2018 and as part of it he fought Trump’s efforts to block a subpoena of his tax records held by his accounting firm Mazars all the way to the Supreme Court—not once but twice.