Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley says the impending indictment of former President Donald Trump is about Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg exacting political “revenge” and not about justice.
Mrs. Haley, a 2024 candidate for president, weighed in on the hush payment case being pursued by New York prosecutors as the emerging GOP field faces pressure from Mr. Trump and his supporters to take sides in the matter.
“Everything I have seen from this New York district attorney is that this would be something he’d be doing for political points, and I think what we know is, when you get into political prosecutions like this, it’s more about revenge than it is about justice,” Mrs. Haley said Monday on Fox News’ “Special Report.”
Mrs. Haley commented after Mr. Trump, a 2024 primary rival, said he expected to be arrested Tuesday over alleged payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels in the run-up to the 2016 election. It is unclear if that will happen or if Mr. Trump will face charges after the grand jury convenes again.
“Right now, it’s rumor. And I certainly hope it’s not the case,” Mrs. Haley said.
Another likely GOP contender, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, said Monday that Mr. Bragg, a Democrat, has used his office to lower penalties for serious crimes while choosing “to go back many, many years to try to use something about porn star hush money payments.”
Mr. Trump is using his Truth Social platform to sound off on the situation.
“There was no crime, period. All other of the many Democrat law enforcement officers that looked at it, took a pass,” Mr. Trump wrote.
The former president said Mr. Bragg seemed reluctant to bring the cases earlier.
“But then, much latter [sic], he changed his mind,” Mr. Trump said. “Gee, I wonder why? Prosecutorial Misconduct and Interference with an Election.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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