The Trump Indictment: Is he the Unindicted Co-conspirator from 2021 Case?
In a stunning development, former President Trump was indicted yesterday on a reported 34 counts by a Manhattan Grand Jury. As of now, the specifics of the charges remain under wraps, but the investigation evidently centered around hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels. While the Republican camp seems to be fixating on the Daniels payments, the 34 separate counts suggest that the charges extend well beyond this lone issue.
Going back to July 2021, one might recall the indictment against Trump Corporation, Trump Organization, Trump Payroll Corporation, and CFO Allen Weisselberg for "Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, in violation of Penal Law § 105.10(1)." Within that indictment, an "Unindicted Co-conspirator #1" was cited multiple times.
The official indictment stated:
"The defendants and Unindicted Co-conspirator #1, in the County of New York and elsewhere, during the period from on or about March 31, 2005 to on or about June 30, 2021, with, intent that conduct constituting a class C felony, to wit, Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, be 'performed, agreed with one or more persons to engage in and cause the performance of such conduct. Operation of the Conspiracy from at least 2005 through the date of this indictment, the named defendants and others, including Unindicted Co-conspirator #1, agreed to and implemented a compensation scheme with the object of enabling Weisselberg to underreport his income to federal authorities, and thereby evade taxes and falsely claim federal tax refunds to which he was not entitled."
Fast-forwarding to January 2023, the Trump Organization was convicted on 17 counts, encompassing conspiracy, criminal tax fraud, and falsifying business records. CFO Weisselberg pleaded guilty to 15 counts, which ranged from grand larceny and tax fraud to falsifying business records.
As speculation mounts, it remains to be seen whether Trump is the "unindicted co-conspirator #1" mentioned in the charging documents. If so, his alleged 34 counts could include anywhere from several to a couple of dozen charges related to the same crimes Weisselberg and the Trump Organization have been convicted of. As this story continues to unfold, further details on the exact nature of the charges are expected to emerge in the coming days.