Several media outlets reported on Wednesday a new twist in the New York court system that delayed the filing of possible criminal charges against former US President Donald Trump.

Donald TrumpPhoto: snapshot/Future Image/D Van Tine/Shutterstock Editorial/Profimedia

The 76-year-old Republican billionaire, who dreams of “recapturing” the White House in November 2024, is to answer in New York state court for paying $130,000 before his November 2016 presidential victory to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. with whom he allegedly had an affair, reports AFP.

After years of investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, its prosecutor, Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, appeared to be close to announcing criminal charges – which would be historic – against the 45th President of the United States (2017-2021).

It was Donald Trump, from his residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, who caused a media and political firestorm on Saturday, writing in capital letters on his social network Pravda that he would be impeached and “arrested” on Tuesday.

But prosecutor Bragg remained silent, and nothing of what the ex-head of state said happened.

The grand jury hearing has been canceled

On Wednesday morning, the American press, which covered the Manhattan courthouse, suggested that the grand jury – a group of citizens with broad investigative powers working with prosecutor Bragg – would vote on the indictment in the afternoon.

But Wednesday’s grand jury hearing was canceled, according to reports from the New York Times and the online publication Insider, which cited two judicial sources.

The insider says the jury will not vote until the end of the week, although it was scheduled to reconvene on Thursday. The grand jury meets on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

When asked by AFP, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office declined to “confirm or comment on any matter related to the grand jury.”

And even if he is charged, Trump will not be “arrested” immediately. It took several days for him to appear in Manhattan.

In this case, after he voluntarily “surrenders” to justice, he would be informed of the charges and, perhaps symbolically, arrested for a few minutes.