Former US President Donald Trump has been indicted by a grand jury in New York City on criminal charges related to alleged payments of hush money to people in the lead-up to the 2016 election.
This is the first time any sitting or former US president has been indicted on criminal charges. To indict someone means to formally accuse or charge them with a crime, and a Manhattan Grand Jury, made up of ordinary people, has decided that Trump should face criminal charges after years of investigations into his business, political, and personal dealings.
The exact charges are not known, but they relate to accusations that Trump indirectly paid $130,000 to people to prevent stories being shared about his alleged bad behavior during the 2016 election, claiming these were simply legal expenses on business records. Trump has called the indictment a political witch hunt to ruin his chances in the 2024 presidential race, but he will have to go through a lengthy court process to prove it.
Trump is expected to turn himself in on Tuesday, where he will have his mug shot taken and his fingerprints recorded before pleading guilty or not guilty to the crime.