According to two sources familiar with the case, a Manhattan grand jury has indicted Donald Trump on more than 30 counts related to business fraud, marking the first time in American history that a sitting or former president will face criminal charges.
Trump is expected to make a court appearance on Tuesday. The charges have been filed under seal, and the specific allegations are currently unknown to the public.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office has been investigating Trump’s alleged involvement in a hush money payment scheme and cover-up related to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election.
Although grand jury proceedings are kept secret, a witness reportedly gave 30 minutes of testimony before the decision was made to indict Trump. The announcement of the charges is expected to take place in the coming days.
The decision to indict Donald Trump is expected to impact the United States significantly, as it marks the first time a former president will face criminal charges while running for office. This unprecedented situation will likely push the American political system into uncharted territory.
Trump has released a statement in response to the indictment, alleging that it is an act of “Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history.”
“I believe this Witch-Hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden,” said Trump. “The American people realize exactly what the Radical Left Democrats are doing here. Everyone can see it. So our Movement, and our Party – united and strong – will first defeat Alvin Bragg, and then we will defeat Joe Biden, and we are going to throw every last one of these Crooked Democrats out of office so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
A source who spoke with Donald Trump directly revealed that he was taken aback by the grand jury’s decision to indict him. Although he was preparing for the possibility of an indictment last week, Trump began to believe reports that it would not happen for several more weeks, or even longer.
The individual, who chose to remain anonymous as Trump’s team strategized its next move, described the indictment as a significant surprise, saying, “Is this a shock today? Hell yes.”
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office has announced that they have been in communication with Donald Trump’s legal team. In a statement released on Thursday, the office disclosed that they have contacted Trump’s lawyer to coordinate his surrender for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which is currently under seal. They added that guidance will be given once the arraignment date is finalized.
Trump’s defense attorney, Joe Tacopina, confirmed that the former president was initially requested to surrender himself to authorities in New York on Friday, the day after the grand jury’s decision to indict him.