Grand jury in Trump hush-money case to resume session on April 3

New York, March 28 (IANS) The grand jury in an alleged hush-money payment case relating to former US President Donald Trump will reportedly return to session on April 3, according to media reports.

The grand jury is expected to reconvene in lower Manhattan, New York City, and may hear a witness in the afternoon of that day, Xinhua news agency quoted the reports as saying.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office is reportedly investigating Trump's role in an alleged hush-money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

The payment of $130,000 was said to be used to prevent Daniels from going public about an alleged sexual encounter that she had with Trump in 2006.

Trump has denied that the affair happened, dismissed any wrongdoing, and charged that the inquiry led by Bragg, a Democrat, is politically motivated.

"Prosecutorial misconduct is their new tool, and they're willing to use it at levels never seen before in our country," the former President said at a campaign rally in Waco, Texas, last weekend.

The possible indictment of Trump has been closely watched as no former American President has been indicted on criminal charges and he is running for the White House.

Republicans have rallied around Trump by attacking Bragg and lashing out that the case is yet another example of law enforcement being "weaponised" by Democrats for political purposes.

Congressman Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, tweeted last week that "House Republican efforts to interfere in the investigation of Trump are a blatant attempt to shield the former president from justice".

In addition to the Manhattan probe, Trump is under criminal investigation by a prosecutor in Georgia for his efforts to overturn his loss in that state's 2020 presidential election.

He is also facing criminal probes by the Department of Justice for his role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, and in retaining classified documents at his private Florida residence after leaving the White House.