Donald Trump has become the first former US president to face criminal charges. A grand jury voted to indict former president Trump after New York prosecutors investigating a $130,000 (sh17.2 million) pay-out to former porn star Stormy Daniels.
It is alleged that the payout was hush money about an affair they had in 2006, just before the 2016 presidential election.
Trump has always denied they had sexual relations. Trump has described the indictment in the Stormy Daniels case as “political persecution” and said he doesn’t expect a fair trial.
According to BBC reports, the former president has flown out to New York, where he is expected to appear in court on Tuesday, where he will be presented with the charges and enter a plea.
Several other state Supreme Court cases have been adjourned to limit the number of people in the courthouse during the former president’s appearance.
The streets around the building will be blocked off and traffic stopped during Trump’s movements to and from the building.
These charges against Trump cannot prevent him from running for the presidency in 2024. Nothing in the US Constitution prevents someone from running for president while facing charges and even a conviction would not bar them from the nation’s highest office.
BY NKATHA WAINAINA