The United States waded into new territory on Thursday with the indictment of former president Donald Trump, a move that was unprecedented in US history. But other liberal democracies have extensive experience charging former – and sometimes current – leaders. While a serving French leader is generally safe from prosecution, former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Jacques Chirac were convicted after leaving office.
A grand jury on Thursday indicted Trump in connection with a payment to an adult film actress in exchange for keeping silent on an alleged affair they had more than 15 years ago. The related charges could involve possible campaign-finance violations and falsification of business records; Trump is to appear in court on Tuesday.
