Former US President Donald Trump will be accused of paying hush money to a pornstar before the 2016 presidential election.
The charges against him have not yet been made public.
A grand jury has voted to indict him following an investigation into a $130,000 payment made to Stormy Daniels in an attempt to purchase her silence regarding an alleged affair.
Mr. Trump, who is 76 years old, denies malfeasance. He is the first sitting or former president of the United States to face criminal charges.
The office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who has been conducting the investigation, verified that it had contacted Mr. Trump’s attorney to “coordinate his surrender” on unspecified charges.
The ex-president, who resides in Florida, is anticipated to fly to New York on Monday and appear in court on Tuesday, according to two sources familiar with the situation who spoke to CBS News.
During the hearing, which will last approximately 10 to 15 minutes, he will be read the indictment’s charges.
Security for the court appearance will be handled by the United States Secret Service, which is responsible for safeguarding current and former US presidents.
In 2016, adult film actress Stormy Daniels contacted media entities and offered to sell her account of an alleged affair she had with Donald Trump in 2006 – the year after he married Melania, his current wife.
Michael Cohen, Mr. Trump’s attorney, paid Ms. Daniels $130,000 to keep silent after his team learned of this. This is not a crime.
However, when Mr. Trump reimbursed his attorney, the payment was recorded as being for legal fees. In New York, falsifying business records constitutes a misdemeanor, a criminal offense, according to the prosecution.
Prosecutors could also allege that this violates election law, as his attempt to conceal his payments to Ms. Daniels was motivated by his desire to conceal his liaison with her from voters.
Falsifying records to conceal a crime is a felony, which is a more serious charge. Even advocates for the prosecution acknowledge that this case is by no means straightforward.
There are few precedents for this type of prosecution, and previous attempts to charge politicians with crossing the line between campaign finance and personal expenditures have failed.
As with all criminal defendants, Mr. Trump now confronts the prospect of having his fingerprints recorded and his mugshot taken.
Mr. Trump lashed out at the Manhattan district attorney in a statement. He dubbed the prosecutor a “disgrace” and claimed that he was “carrying out Joe Biden’s dirty work.”
“The Democrats have lied, cheated, and stolen in their obsession to ‘Get Trump,’ but now they have done the unthinkable. They have indicted a completely innocent person in an act of blatant election interference,” he said.
Mr. Trump has called the probe in his native New York a “witch hunt” by his opponents.
Mr. Bragg, a registered Democrat, has denied having a personal grudge against Mr. Trump. Earlier this month, he tweeted, “We evaluate cases in our jurisdiction based on the facts, the law, and the evidence.”
Susan Necheles, Mr. Trump’s attorney, issued the following statement: “He did not commit a crime, and we will vigorously fight this political prosecution in court.”
After her indictment, Ms. Daniels expressed gratitude to her supporters. She tweeted, “I have so many incoming messages that I can’t respond… also don’t want to spill my champagne.”
The criminal case may influence the 2024 presidential election. Mr. Trump currently leads all declared and potential candidates for the Republican nomination for the White House.
However, nothing in US law prohibits a candidate convicted of a felony from campaigning for and serving as president, even from prison.
Thursday evening, his campaign sent out fundraising emails citing the indictment.
Republican leaders in Congress are coalescing behind Mr. Trump.
Kevin McCarthy, the speaker of the House of Representatives, stated, “Alvin Bragg has irreparably harmed our nation by interfering with our presidential election.
While routinely releasing violent criminals to terrorize the public, he weaponized our hallowed justice system against President Trump.
Democrats, however, viewed the indictment as proof that no one was above the law.
Adam Schiff, a member of Congress, stated, “The indictment and arrest of a former president are unprecedented in American history.”
However, the illegal conduct for which Trump has been charged is also egregious.
Mr. Trump is also under investigation in several additional cases.
Included are investigations into his role in the US Capitol riot of January 2021, his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state of Georgia, and his management of classified documents after leaving office.
Mr. Trump, president from 2017 to 2021, was impeached twice by the House of Representatives. The Senate acquitted him both times.
