General 2 months ago

World 2023-03-31 04:08:07

Donald Trump has been indicted, likely to be arrested and arraigned for court on Tuesday

The indictment of Donald Trump contains at least dozens of charges, US media are reporting. CNN reports Trump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud. The outlet has cited two anonymous sources "familiar with the case".

• A grand jury has voted to indict former US President Donald Trump after investigating an $130,000 pay-out to former porn star Stormy Daniels
• An indictment against a former president is a historic first in US politics
• Trump, 76, is the first current or former president to face criminal charges
• The details of the charges he faces have not yet been released
• His legal team has said he is expected to surrender next week
• The ex-president lives in Florida and is expected to travel to New York City for his formal arrest and first hearing in court
• The indictment has been met with an angry response from Republicans and Trump's political allies
• In interviews and on his Truth Social social media platform, Trump has slammed the indictment as a politically-motivated and an attempt to "weaponise" the justice department
• His lawyer said in a statement: "He did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in court."

What is Trump accused of?

In 2016, adult film star Stormy Daniels contacted media outlets offering to sell her account of what she said was an adulterous affair she had with Donald Trump in 2006. Trump's team got wind of this, and his lawyer Michael Cohen paid $130,000 to Daniels to keep quiet. This is not illegal.

However, when Trump reimbursed Cohen, the record for the payment says it was for legal fees. Prosecutors say this amounts to Trump falsifying business records, which is a misdemeanour - a criminal offence - in New York.

Prosecutors could also potentially allege that this breaks election law, because his attempt to hide his payments to Daniels were motivated by not wanting voters to know he had an affair with her. Covering up a crime by falsifying records would be a felony, which is a more serious charge.

Even advocates for prosecution acknowledge that either way, this is by no means a clear-cut case. There is little precedent for such a prosecution, and past attempts to charge politicians with crossing the line between campaign finance and personal spending have ended in failure.

Trump's lawyer confirms probable Tuesday arraignment

Susan Necheles has confirmed her client is expected to be taken to court on Tuesday.

"We do expect the arraignment to occur on Tuesday," Trump's lawyer said in an email to AFP news agency, without offering further details.

An arraignment is the initial court appearance in a criminal prosecution in the US.

A defendant is presented with the charges facing them and generally enters a plea. A judge then decides whether they should be released on bail or taken into custody.

Trump is expected to be charged on a number of counts over a hush money payment to former porn star Stormy Daniel. This payment was allegedly not properly recorded on his books.

New York police ordered to prepare for mobilisation

Members of the New York Police Department have been ordered to be "prepared for deployment" in the wake of the Trump indictment, the New York Times has reported.

Citing an internal memo, the Times has reported that officers have been told to "remain prepared for mobilization at any time during their assigned tour."

Last week, US media reported that the NYPD - as well as other local, state and federal police agencies - had been preparing and conducting security assessments ahead of a possible indictment.

The NYPD's orders were reportedly rescinded after it became clear that the grand jury was still hearing from witnesses and that the indictment would not come immediately.