Donald Trump conspired to undermine the 2016 election through a series of hush money payments designed to stifle claims that could be harmful to his candidacy, prosecutors said Tuesday in unsealing a historic 34-count felony indictment against the former president.
Trump said “not guilty” in a Manhattan courtroom while facing a judge who warned him to refrain from rhetoric that could inflame or cause civil unrest.
See the latest updates in the case here.
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- Who’s who in the indictment
- A timeline of key events that led to the indictment
Trump’s legal woes overlap with campaign — 2:10 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump, the early frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, now faces the unprecedented prospect of mounting another campaign for the White House while simultaneously on trial for charges stemming from hush money payments to women during his 2016 campaign. He remains under investigation in Georgia and Washington, raising the prospect of multiple trials in several jurisdictions, all unfolding as Republicans begin voting on their next nominee.
In the meantime, Trump’s rivals for the Republican presidential nomination are struggling to emerge from his ever-growing shadow, even as the proceedings raise serious questions about Trump’s viability in a general election.
“A lot of times you have a candidate who’s in trouble, you create a diversion,” said Trump campaign pollster John McLaughlin. “They’re indicting Trump, Trump consumes all the headlines and media coverage.”
While most defendants would see an arrest as an indignity to be handled quietly, Trump — a man who has always craved the media spotlight — seized the PR and fundraising opportunity, blasting out his itinerary and narrating a play-by-play on social media.
Judge should avoid issuing gag order on Trump in criminal case, legal experts say — 11:50 a.m.
By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff
It makes sense for the New York City judge presiding over former president Donald Trump’s indictment to refrain from issuing a gag order in the case, despite the Republican’s track record of publicly denigrating authorities working on that criminal matter and other probes, legal specialists said Wednesday.
“A gag order against the declared [front] runner in a presidential contest would run headlong into First Amendment protections of political speech,” said Mark J. Geragos, a prominent defense lawyer whose clients have included former Congressman Gary Condit and Roger Clinton, brother of former president Bill Clinton.
Representative Ayanna Pressley calls for Trump to be held accountable in other investigations he faces — 11:23 a.m.
By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff
Massachusetts Representative Ayanna Pressley, a Democrat, said on Wednesday that while Donald Trump’s indictment is “a step toward much-needed accountability,” she called for him to face consequences in the other matters he is under investigation for, including his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia and role in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.
“Donald Trump is a twice-impeached, consistently corrupt, and immoral man who has proven time and again that he is unfit for public office,” Pressley said in a statement released Wednesday. “And while his formal indictment for falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments is a step toward much-needed accountability, it remains deeply problematic that his many additional egregious crimes—including his incitement of a violent insurrection, conspiracy to overturn a democratic election, emboldening of white supremacist violence, and more—have gone unchecked.”
Pressley also said Trump’s return to Florida after his arraignment in a span of hours is “a slap in the face to the millions of Black, brown, and low-income people locked in jails across the country before a trial.”
“This is another example that we have one legal system in America for the rich and powerful, and another for everyone else,” Pressley said.
“Our system is allowing Trump to monetize his trial and continue to spread lies and incite violence — all while seeking the highest office in America,” the statement continued. “He must be held fully accountable for every crime he committed, and we must continue pushing to transform our legal system into one that truly lives up to its promise of equal justice under the law.”
Indictment raises thorny legal issues — 11:09 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The indictment raises many thorny issues about state and federal law that could provide openings for the defense to attack the charges to try to get them tossed before the case even gets to trial.
“The bottom line is that it’s murky,” said Richard Hasen, an expert in election law and professor at the University of California, Los Angeles law school. “And the district attorney did not offer a detailed legal analysis as to how they can do this, how they can get around these potential hurdles. And it could potentially tie up the case for a long time.”
Who is Karen McDougal and how is she linked to the Trump case? — 10:02 a.m.
By The Washington Post
Karen McDougal, 52, is a former Playboy model known for her appearances in the late 1990s and is a health, lifestyle and beauty columnist.
McDougal alleges that she engaged in a 10-month consensual “romantic relationship” with Trump, which she said began in 2006 at a bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel and led to their meeting “many dozens of times” until 2007 - allegations that Trump denies.
The National Enquirer, a U.S. tabloid, bought the exclusive rights to McDougal’s story in August 2016 but did not publish it - a practice sometimes referred to as “catch and kill,” which is intended to bury a story. The tabloid paid McDougal $150,000 during Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016, as well as agreeing to let her write fitness columns and pose for covers.
Trump was charged in New York on Tuesday with falsifying business records, and the Manhattan district attorney’s office also accused Trump of engaging in a far-reaching scheme to illegally influence the 2016 presidential election by suppressing potentially negative information about himself.
The indictment centers on the previously reported payment of $130,000 to Daniels, paid by Cohen, then Trump’s personal attorney, to bury a story alleging an extramarital relationship between Trump and Daniels.
The payments to McDougal are not part of the criminal charges but have been cited in the statement of facts released by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) as evidence of a pattern of behavior. The statement of facts does not name McDougal but refers to her as “Woman 1.”
Why the charges against Trump were bumped up to felonies instead of misdemeanors — 9:14 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Falsifying business records can be charged as a misdemeanor, a lower-level crime that would not normally result in prison time. It rises to a felony — which carries up to four years behind bars — if there was an intent to commit or conceal a second crime. Bragg said his office routinely brings felony false business records cases.
In Trump’s case, Bragg said the phony business records were designed to cover up alleged state and federal election law violations. The $130,000 payment to Daniels exceeded the federal cap on campaign contributions, Bragg said. He also cited a New York election law that makes it a crime to promote a candidate by unlawful means.
“That is what this defendant did when he falsified business records in order to conceal unlawful efforts to promote his candidacy, and that is why we are here,” one of the case prosecutors, Chris Conroy, told the judge Tuesday.
Prosecutors filed a “statement of facts” that told their story of a scheme to protect Trump’s presidential prospects by buying and suppressing unflattering information about him. Still, some legal observers were surprised that the indictment itself wasn’t more specific about how each of the charges was elevated to a felony.
“There are an awful lot of dots here which it takes a bit of imagination to connect,” said Richard Klein, a Touro Law Center criminal law professor. Bragg said the indictment doesn’t specify the potential underlying crimes because the law doesn’t require it. But given the likelihood of Trump’s lawyers challenging it, “you’d think they’d want to be on much firmer ground than some of this stuff,” said Klein, a former New York City public defender.
Across the country, Trump’s arrest draws celebration and indignation — 8:57 a.m.
By The Washington Post
Across red and blue America, the reaction to Trump’s Tuesday arrest largely - but not completely - mirrored the partisan divisions that have split the country for decades and seemed to widen under his tenure as president.
Democrats appeared most upset that the first criminal case brought against him was also the most tawdry - that he paid, then covered up, hush money to an adult-film star to protect his 2016 presidential candidacy. For Republicans, the satisfaction displayed by partisan rivals only proved their point that Trump will not receive a fair hearing and that the sole goal of the indictment was to head off another Trump administration.
Across the country, the red and the blue, the anger and the resignation collided with the uneasy bipartisan sense that a new round of indictments and their aftermath were not far off. The charges could be filed by Georgia prosecutors over election interference or by a special counsel in Washington over the Jan. 6, 2021, attack and, separately, the seizure of classified documents at Trump’s Florida home. In any case, the country enters a new and uncharted legal and political landscape.
Trump’s legal drama could soon continue in Georgia — 8:16 a.m.
By The Washington Post
Donald Trump’s appearance in a Manhattan courtroom Tuesday marked a historic moment in American history - the first time a former or sitting U.S. president has been indicted on criminal charges.
But Trump’s legal peril is far from over. Among those closely watching the proceedings were state and local officials in Georgia, where Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis (D) is expected to announce in coming weeks whether she will file charges in connection to efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the state’s 2020 presidential election results.
Willis has not spoken publicly about Trump’s criminal indictment in New York, and a spokesman declined to comment. But close observers of Willis believe the New York case is unlikely to change the legal trajectory of her more than two-year investigation into alleged election interference in Georgia, a case that has already drawn intense public scrutiny and political attacks from Trump even before any potential charges have been filed.
The case in New York is likely to add to that scrutiny - even as many legal experts believe the case in Georgia is more perilous to Trump. However she decides to proceed, Willis will have to sell her case not only to Atlanta-area voters but to the broader American public at a volatile moment when public sentiment about a potential Trump prosecution could be shaped by the Manhattan legal proceedings.
‘Frustrated and upset,’ Trump goes silent, then seethes — 6:37 a.m.
By The Washington Post
Donald Trump spent much of Tuesday in an unfamiliar position, at the mercy of others: whisked around Manhattan by the Secret Service; getting fingerprinted in the custody of the district attorney; sitting still and quietly before a judge. He was the center of attention, but not the master of ceremonies, almost entirely silent beyond uttering “not guilty” in court and blasting out all-caps posts on his social media site.
But as soon as the former president returned home, to his namesake ballroom filled with his adoring fans, he was a rock star again, and he snapped back to his usual combative posture, lashing out at the prosecutor and judge in personal terms, despite the latter’s admonition Tuesday to watch his words.
Alvin Bragg, the prosecutor in the Trump case, waded into treacherous political waters — 1:11 a.m.
By The New York Times
Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, has insisted that he does not pay attention to politics when deciding whether to charge someone with a crime.
But Bragg’s stated reluctance to consider the political ramifications of his office’s decisions has not quelled the storm brewing around him: He has become the first prosecutor to indict a former president.
Charging former president Donald Trump in connection with a hush-money payment to a porn actress will catapult Bragg onto the national stage. Already he faces second-guessing, even from putative allies, about the strength of the case and the wisdom of bringing it. And Trump, who has denied all wrongdoing, has begun attacking Bragg, a Democrat, as the latest in a string of politically motivated prosecutors determined to bring him down. The former president has marshaled the support of his Republican allies in Congress and beyond.
Private or political? Charges over hush money hinge on payment’s purpose. — 9:15 p.m.
By The New York Times
Is paying hush money a crime?
In most cases, the answer is no. Hush money agreements, also known as nondisclosure agreements, have long been used by companies and private individuals to avoid litigation and keep embarrassing information confidential. Harvey Weinstein, the former producer convicted of rape, used such agreements for years to conceal his harassment and assault of women.
But the question is thornier when it comes to candidates in the midst of political campaigns, and it has not often been posed in federal or New York state courts.
As it relates to former President Donald Trump and porn star Stormy Daniels, the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, revealed his answer Tuesday when he unsealed an indictment of Trump: A hush money payment can constitute a crime if made to protect a political candidate.
All of the felony counts Trump is facing stem from reimbursements to his former fixer, Michael Cohen, for paying $130,000 to Daniels in exchange for her silence about the liaison she said she had with Trump.
Having charged Trump with falsifying business records, Bragg’s office will have to navigate complicated legal terrain. A conviction would hinge on proving that reimbursements to Cohen were falsely disguised as legal fees to conceal another crime: perhaps a violation of election laws. The indictment did not, however, charge Trump with an election law violation; Cohen has admitted to committing one with the payment to Daniels.
The case bears some similarities to the prosecution of a former U.S. senator, John Edwards of North Carolina, who was charged in 2011 with federal campaign finance violations for payments to help a mistress during his own presidential run in 2008. The case ended without a conviction.
Federal and state campaign laws require reporting of campaign-related payments, and if they are made by third parties coordinating with the candidate, such as Cohen, they are subject to certain limits. Cohen’s payment to Daniels before the 2016 presidential election was well beyond the federal legal limit.
After the arraignment, it may be months before a trial — 8:57 p.m.
By The New York Times
Former President Donald Trump’s arraignment hearing Tuesday was the first court proceeding in what is likely to be a lengthy criminal case.
A trial may not be scheduled for months — and is not guaranteed to happen at all — as prosecutors and Trump’s lawyers are expected to argue over the merits of the case and what evidence can be presented to a jury.
Under New York law, district attorneys must turn over much of their evidence to defense lawyers within 35 days of a defendant’s arraignment. The rules require prosecutors to provide physical evidence such as police reports and photographs, electronic recordings and grand jury testimony, including the names of witnesses.
Prosecutors may request an extension of up to 30 days under exceptional circumstances. They may also request a protective order to shield witness names and information until trial, though judges are not required to grant it.
The defense is also required to disclose certain evidence in its possession 30 days after prosecutors first open their files.
Lawyers from both sides may file motions asking the judge to prevent certain evidence from being used at trial, and hearings on those motions may delay a trial further.
The judge presiding over Tuesday’s arraignment, Juan M. Merchan, set a schedule for Trump’s lawyers to file motions by Aug. 8 and prosecutors by Sept. 19, with judge’s orders to come on Dec. 4.
Defense lawyers can also file motions asking the judge to dismiss a case. One of Trump’s lawyers, Joseph Tacopina, previously said that he anticipated filing such a motion. But after the arraignment, he told reporters outside the courthouse that it was too soon to talk about specific details.
Among the possible grounds for a motion to dismiss are assertions that charges are barred by statutes of limitation, which restrict how much time can pass between a crime and charges, or that there has been prosecutorial misconduct.
Trump has spent millions from donors to cover legal fees — 8:16 p.m.
By The New York Times
As Donald Trump prepares to mount a legal defense in the first criminal trial a former American president has ever faced, it is not clear who will foot the legal bills: the former president or his political donors.
Last year, he spent roughly $10 million from his political action committee, Save America, on his own legal fees, federal election filings show. It was not immediately known whether he might set up a separate legal defense fund to cover the expenses associated with the case in New York.
Federal election filings showed that Trump’s PAC paid more than $16 million overall in legal-related expenses to various law firms and lawyers in 2021 and 2022, including those directly related to Trump as well as for lawyers representing witnesses in investigations he is facing.
The payments have drawn scrutiny from some campaign finance experts, who have questioned whether Trump, as a candidate, can continue to use the PAC to pay for his personal legal bills and circumvent rules for traditional candidate committees.
Republicans react with outrage at Trump’s indictment, threatening Bragg — 7:51 p.m.
By The New York Times
House Republicans reacted with outrage on Tuesday to the arraignment of former president Donald Trump, vowing to continue to pressure prosecutors to abandon the case even as they held off from issuing a subpoena to force them to answer to Congress.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., pledged to use the investigative powers of the House to hold Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, “accountable” for his work against Trump.
McCarthy said Bragg was using “politicized charges” against Trump in an attempt to “interfere in our democratic process.”
Bragg, he said, was “using federal funds” — apparently referring to a small amount of federal money the Manhattan district attorney’s office used in the investigation of Trump and his business — to further a “farce” of a case.
“Bragg’s weaponization of the federal justice process will be held accountable by Congress,” he added.
But Republicans were still wrestling with whether to issue a subpoena to Bragg.
Three powerful House committee chairs, led by Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the Judiciary Committee chair, had sent a letter demanding that Bragg come forward by last Friday with communications, documents and testimony about his inquiry, a move Republicans and Trump believed could slow down or disrupt the investigation. Bragg pushed back forcefully against that demand, which his office called an inappropriate attempt by Congress to impede a local prosecution.
Internally, House Republicans have discussed whether a subpoena would be an overreach that could backfire, risking a precedent-setting loss in court that could weaken Congress’ institutional investigative powers.
Fake Trump mug shots spread in lieu of real one — 7:30 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Donald Trump staring directly at the camera in a black T-shirt. Giving a side-eye in a suit and striped tie. Scowling in an orange jumpsuit.
A slew of such images claiming to show the former president’s mug shot spread online Tuesday — even though Trump didn’t actually take one during his booking and arraignment in a Manhattan criminal court.
The fabricated images, at least some of which were created using artificial intelligence text-to-image generators, fooled some social media users looking to track down the visual symbol of Trump being charged for 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
Trump, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, also raised money off his own fake mug shot, which his campaign plastered on a T-shirt in an email to supporters Tuesday.
Video: Is indictment a political boon for Trump? — 6:53 p.m.
By James Pindell, Globe Staff
Former president Donald Trump’s arrest in New York on Tuesday will largely be remembered as a historic moment — the first American president to be charged with a felony. But his criminal arraignment has jolted American politics in the here and now, from Trump’s personal standing to the 2024 presidential contest as a whole.
Here are four takeaways from Trump’s arraignment.
TV outlets cover Trump arraignment in throwback manner, wall to wall — 6:31 p.m.
By the Associated Press
For the country and for Donald Trump, the indictment of a former president represented an unprecedented day. For TV news organizations, it felt like a throwback.
Hour after hour on Tuesday, the story occupied the full attention of broadcast and cable news networks. They waited for glimpses of Trump’s face to interpret his expression, followed his motorcade’s movements from the air, speculated on how it must feel to be arrested.
The coverage recalled better days for now-struggling cable news outlets, through two presidential campaigns and two impeachment trials, when Trump occupied hours of air time. Consumers eagerly followed along, the way they haven’t for many stories since.
For two days this week, Trump’s indictment on 34 counts of falsifying business records, gave outlets the chance to go back in time.
“This is the most significant arraignment in the history or arraignments,” Danny Cevallos, a legal analyst for NBC News, said on that network’s special report.
“It’s hard to over-dramatize what this means for Donald Trump,” said MSNBC’s Chris Jansing.
Oh, but many tried.
On Monday, Trump’s travels from Florida to New York led cable news networks to revisit the worst of earlier excesses. Throughout the day, aerial camera shots followed Trump’s plane as it took off from Florida and landed in New York, and as his motorcade traveled to Trump Tower in Manhattan — the backdrop to hours of speculation about the case.
At one point, Trump’s son Eric posted on social media a picture of a television set inside the plane showing a Fox News Channel picture of the plane waiting on a Florida tarmac. “Watching the plane ... from the plane,” he said.
Some of Trump’s alleged illegal conduct occurred during presidency, he met Michael Cohen in Oval Office — 6:10 p.m.
By Christina Prignano, Globe Staff
Prosecutors on Tuesday noted that some of Trump’s alleged misconduct occurred after he was sworn in as president.
In a statement of facts released on Tuesday, prosecutors claimed Trump personally signed checks to his lawyer, Michael Cohen, in 2017 to reimburse him for a payment Cohen made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the presidential campaign.
In addition, prosecutors said that Trump invited the CEO of American Media, Inc., for dinner in the White House to thank him for his assistance during the 2016 campaign. The dinner came after AMI made payments to a former Trump Tower doorman who claimed he had information about a child Trump allegedly fathered out of wedlock, as well as to former Playboy playmate Karen McDougal for not speaking out about her alleged affair with Trump — a tactic known as “catch and kill.”
Prosecutors say both the reimbursement payments to Cohen and the scheme involving AMI were part of an effort to subvert New York election laws.
Prosecutors outline scheme to suppress ‘negative information’ about Trump — 5:50 p.m.
By Jorja Siemons, Globe Correspondent
Prosecutors emphasized what they called a “catch and kill scheme” involving Donald Trump in the statement of facts they released Tuesday alongside an indictment of the former president.
The document outlines hush money payments to two women, who claimed to have had affairs with Trump, and a former Trump Tower doorman.
The efforts, according to prosecutors, happened in furtherance of Trump’s candidacy in the 2016 presidency election.
Two parties have admitted to committing illegal conduct in connection with this scheme: Michael Cohen, identified as “Lawyer A”, and American Media, Inc., the publisher of the National Enquirer.
According to the statement of facts, AMI agreed shortly after Trump launched his candidacy in June 2015 to act as the campaign’s “eyes and ears” with regards to negative stories.
Prosecutors also outline Trump and others’ “public and private pressure campaign” to ensure Cohen did not cooperate with law enforcement.
“The Defendant publicly commented on Twitter encouraging Lawyer A not to ‘flip,’ stating, ‘Most people will flip if the Government lets them out of trouble, even if…it means lying or making up stories,’” prosecutors wrote.
In a statement Tuesday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg noted this suppression effort.
“The People of the State of New York allege that Donald J. Trump repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York Business records to conceal crimes that hid damaging information from the voting public,” he said.
Trump on his way back to Florida — 5:04 p.m.
By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff
Donald Trump is on his way back to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after appearing in a Manhattan court Tuesday afternoon, where he pled not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records.
The former president boarded his private plane at LaGuardia Airport in Queens around 5 p.m.
Prosecutors show how Trump allegedly repaid Michael Cohen for payments — 4:53 p.m.
By Christina Prignano, Globe Staff
In a statement of facts released Tuesday, New York prosecutors allege that checks from accounts connected to former president Donald Trump reimbursing a lawyer identified as Michael Cohen were made to look like payments for legal services under a retainer agreement, but no such agreement existed.
Prosecutors say Cohen and the CFO of the Trump Organization negotiated a payment plan in part to reimburse Cohen for the cost of payments he made for the silence of a woman, identified as Stormy Daniels. The reimbursement plan called for a series of repayments to Cohen totaling $420,000. The figure included reimbursement for the $130,000 payment and a separate $50,000 payment — doubled to account for taxes Cohen would subsequently owe — plus a $60,000 bonus, prosecutors allege.
The payments to Cohen occurred while Trump was in the White House, prosecutors allege, and ended in Dec. 2017. According to the statement of facts, Trump met with Cohen (who is referred to as “Lawyer A”) in the Oval Office of the White House “and confirmed this repayment agreement.”
Romney says DA ‘stretched to reach’ charges in Trump case — 4:50 p.m.
By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff
Utah Senator and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, a Republican, issued a statement following Donald Trump’s arraignment on 34 felony charges of falsifing business records, writing that despite believing the former president is unfit for office, he believes ”the New York prosecutor has stretched to reach felony criminal charges in order to fit a political agenda.”
“No one is above the law, not even former presidents, but everyone is entitled to equal treatment under the law,” the statement said. “The prosecutor’s overreach sets a dangerous precedent for criminalizing political opponents and damages the public’s faith in our justice system.”
Next in-person hearing in case scheduled for Dec. 4 — 4:44 p.m.
By Jorja Siemons, Globe correspondent
The next in-person hearing date for former president Donald Trump’s case is scheduled for Dec. as of now, according to CNN’s Lauren Del Valle.
Trump’s lawyers have asked for him to be excused from attending in person due to extraordinary security measures, according to the Associated Press.
After Tuesday’s arraignment, Donald Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche told reporters that the indictment does not allege any federal or state crime that has been violated.
”It’s not a good day,” Blanche said. “I don’t expect this to happen in this country.”
”These are felony crimes in New York state no matter who you are. We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said after the arraignment.
Analysis: Four takeaways from Trump’s arraignment in New York — 4:32 p.m.
By James Pindell, Globe Staff
Former president Donald Trump’s arrest in New York on Tuesday will largely be remembered as a historic moment — the first American president to be charged with a felony. But his criminal arraignment has jolted American politics in the here and now, from Trump’s personal standing to the 2024 presidential contest as a whole.
It was a day that saw hordes of journalists and small crowds of Trump supporters and opponents, but very little of Trump in public.
Here are some takeaways from Trump’s highly anticipated appearance in court on Tuesday.
Legal experts say outcome in Trump criminal case tough to predict — 4:20 p.m.
By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff
The arraignment Tuesday of former president Donald J. Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records marked a watershed moment in American political and legal history, experts said, but the outcome is far from certain.
“Certainly this case has a heightened potential for a hung jury even in Manhattan, which is heavily anti-Trump,” said Martin G. Weinberg, a prominent Boston defense attorney, in a phone interview following the arraignment.
‘These are felony crimes in New York state no matter who you are,’ Bragg says in press conference — 4:14 p.m.
By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff
“These are felony crimes in New York state no matter who you are. We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said after Donald Trump’s arraignment.
“The defendant repeatedly made false statements on New York business records. He also caused others to make false statements,” Bragg said.
‘Statement of facts’ accompanies indictment — 4:06 p.m.
By Jackie Kucinich, Globe Staff
The “statement of facts” accompanying the 34-count indictment alleges that Trump, identified in the document as “the Defendant,” and other individuals worked “to identify and suppress negative stories about him” as he sought the presidency and continued after Trump became president.
The alleged schemes detailed in Bragg’s “statement of facts” involve hush money payments to two women, who claimed to have had affairs with Trump, and a doorman, who claimed to have information about a child Trump fathered out of wedlock.
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is set to speak soon. Watch live. — 4:00 p.m.
By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is speaking soon after the indictment against Donald Trump was unsealed, and the former president pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Indictment: Trump charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree — 3:51 p.m.
By Christina Prignano, Globe Staff
The charges against former president Donald Trump include 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree in violation of New York state law.
The charges were revealed as the indictment against the former Republican president was unsealed Tuesday afternoon alongside a statement of facts.
In court, judge warns Trump to refrain from inflammatory rhetoric — 3:44 p.m.
By the Associated Press
A judge has warned former President Donald Trump to refrain from rhetoric that could inflame or cause civil unrest.
Trump, speaking briefly during his arraignment, told the judge he was pleading “not guilty” and was advised of his rights by the judge.
Judge Juan Merchan also warned Trump that he could be removed from the courtroom if he is disruptive, but Trump spoke only a few times to respond to questions.
He’s next due in court in December, but his lawyers asked for him to be excused from attending the hearing in person because of extraordinary security proceedings.
The judge said he was not imposing a gag order at this point, but he asked both sides to refrain from comments that could lead to civil unrest.
Trump stayed mostly still with his hands steepled or interlaced and looked ahead during the proceedings, which lasted just over an hour.
The indictment against Donald Trump was unsealed. Read it here. — 3:40 p.m.
By Christina Prignano, Globe Staff
The indictment charging Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records was just unsealed.
Trump exits Manhattan court after pleading not guilty — 3:26 p.m.
By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff
Donald Trump exited the courthouse after he reportedly pled not guilty to nearly three dozen counts of falsifying business records.
After he left the building, the former president got back into a multi-car motorcade.
Trump reportedly pleads not guilty to 34 felony charges — 3:10 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Former President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, according to several news reports.
He entered the plea Tuesday during a brief arraignment in a lower Manhattan courtroom as prosecutors unsealed a grand jury indictment.
The charges stem from a hush money payment to a porn actor during Trump’s 2016 campaign.
A stone-faced Trump entered the courtroom shortly before 2:30 p.m. without saying anything.
Schumer calls for protests to be peaceful amid Trump arraignment — 2:44 p.m.
By Christina Prignano, Globe Staff
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday called for peace as former president Donald Trump appeared at a Manhattan courthouse to face criminal charges related to a 2016 hush-money payment.
The New York Democrat said in a tweet that he believed the former president would get a fair trial and warned against “outside influence or intimidation in the legal process.”
I believe that Donald Trump will have a fair trial that follows the facts and the law. There’s no place in our justice system for any outside influence or intimidation in the legal process. As the trial proceeds, protest is an American right, but all protests must be peaceful.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) April 4, 2023
The tweet echoed comments Schumer made in the immediate aftermath of the indictment news, when he called for “both Mr. Trump’s critics and supporters to let the process proceed peacefully and according to the law.”
Supporters of the former president, including Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, have gathered in New York City demonstrate against the indictment. Greene on Tuesday was greeted by jeering and boos from counter demonstrators during her appearance at a rally across the street from the courthouse where Trump surrendered to authorities.
Trump appears seated in courtroom for arraignment — 2:38 p.m.
By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff
Donald Trump was pictured sitting next to his lawyers inside a Manhattan courtroom, where his arraignment on criminal charges was underway.
Trump enters courtroom for arraignment — 2:29 p.m.
By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff
Donald Trump has entered the courtroom where he’ll be arraigned on criminal charges.
Manhattan DA enters courtroom — 2:24 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has entered the courtroom where former president Donald Trump is scheduled for arraignment on criminal charges stemming from a hush-money payment during his 2016 campaign.
Trump has not yet been seen on the 15th floor where the hearing is supposed to take place. Wearing a navy blue suit and a bright red tie, Trump entered the courthouse around 12:20 p.m. to surrender on the charges and be processed before the hearing.
Biden not focusing on Trump arraignment, White House says — 2:06 p.m.
By Christina Prignano, Globe Staff
A White House spokeswoman on Tuesday said that President Biden is not focused on the arraignment of his predecessor, and she declined to comment on the case when asked about it during a press briefing.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre spoke to reporters Tuesday as Trump prepared to be arraigned in Manhattan on criminal charges related to a hush-money payment during the 2016 presidential campaign.
”This is not something that is a focus for him,” Jean-Pierre said. “Of course this is playing out on many of the networks here, on a daily basis, for hours and hours. So obviously he will catch part of the news when he has a moment to catch up on the news of the day.”
Jean-Pierre reiterated that the president was not given a heads up about the indictment.
”He learned about this just like all of you,” she said.
What to know about the judge handling the case — 1:55 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Judge Juan Manuel Merchan, a former prosecutor with 16 years on the bench, is expected to preside Tuesday over the unprecedented arraignment of a former US commander in chief.
He got Trump’s case because of a rotation in which judges are assigned to oversee grand juries and any cases that arise from them, according to the court system. Merchan also often handles financial cases.
The Colombian-born Merchan, 60, emigrated as a 6-year-old and grew up in New York City. The first member of his family to go to college, he worked his way through school and went on to earn a law degree from Hofstra University in 1994.
He was a Manhattan prosecutor and worked in the state attorney general’s office before then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg appointed him as a family court judge in 2006.
Three years later, Merchan was assigned to a trial court called the Supreme Court in New York. His particular duties now include overseeing a Manhattan mental health court where some defendants get a chance to resolve their cases with treatment and supervision, a program he views as a success story.
Trump is expected to enter a not guilty plea himself — 1:50 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump will plead not guilty, according to his lawyers, and is expected to enter the plea himself, as is standard in the court.
Trump’s booking and appearance before judge expected to be brief — 1:42 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Wearing his signature dark suit and red tie, Trump turned and waved to crowds outside the building before heading inside to be fingerprinted and processed — a remarkable reckoning after years of investigations into his personal, business and political dealings and an extraordinary moment in U.S. history.
He arrived at court in an eight-car motorcade that took him from Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan through the main north-south highway on the east side of the city, past landmarks such as the United Nations.
The booking and appearance before Judge Juan Merchan should be relatively brief — though hardly routine — as Trump learns for the first time the charges against him.
Here’s what happens now that Trump has surrendered — 1:35 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump will get booked. Here’s what that means: Before computers, information on every criminal suspect would be written down in a big book kept by court officials. Now, it’s all computerized, but the process is largely the same. Court officers will take down Trump’s full name, age, birthdate, height and weight. They’ll check to see if the former president has any outstanding warrants. They’ll take his fingerprints — but they won’t roll his fingertips in ink; these days that’s done by computer, too. Officers will roll each fingertip on a computerized system that records the prints. They may take his photo, known as a mug shot.
In New York, this process usually takes about two hours, but can be as long as four. But no one else is getting processed when Trump arrives, so it will go much faster. Then he goes before a judge.
Trump arrives at Manhattan court to face criminal charges — 1:24 p.m.
By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff
Former president Donald Trump has arrived at a Manhattan court to face criminal charges stemming from 2016 hush money payments.
Next, he will be booked and arraigned. Court officers will take down Trump’s full name, age, birthdate, height, and weight, and take his fingerprints.
Then, he’ll go before a judge, who ruled that TV cameras won’t be allowed in the courtroom. Trump is expected to plead not guilty.
Police officers line up in front of the courthouse pic.twitter.com/sMcQp2XZMY
— Jess Bidgood (@jessbidgood) April 4, 2023
Motorcade of SUVs escorts Trump to the courthouse — 1:16 p.m.
By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff
A pack of black SUVs and police vehicles are escorting Donald Trump to the Manhattan courthouse for his arraignment Tuesday afternoon.
Donald Trump leaves Trump Tower in a motorcade on his way to surrender to authorities in Manhattan ahead of his arraignment. pic.twitter.com/b9AlViemOV
— The Recount (@therecount) April 4, 2023
Trump leaves Trump Tower for Manhattan Criminal Court — 1:09 p.m.
By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff
Former president Donald Trump has left Trump Tower for Manhattan Criminal Court, where he’ll appear before a judge this afternoon on criminal charges.
After he makes the 4-mile drive, he’s scheduled to be booked and face a judge for his arraignment.
Former President Donald Trump pumped his fist and waved before leaving Trump Tower for the Manhattan courthouse ahead of his arraignment. https://t.co/Gmlzh3GcQD pic.twitter.com/4BxM1Yh06U
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 4, 2023
Watch the scene as he arrives.
Before the Trump indictment, there was the arrest of President Grant — 1:03 p.m.
By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff
Until last week when Donald Trump was indicted, no former president had ever been charged with a crime before. But one sitting president had been arrested.
In 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant was arrested in Washington. His crime? Speeding in his horse-drawn carriage.
The story of his arrest was confirmed in 2012 by D.C.’s police chief at the time, but the tale lost to history was first told by the Washington Evening Star in 1908 under the headline, “Only Policeman Who Ever Arrested a President,” the Washington Post reported.
Grant had led the North to victory in the Civil War, and the policeman who arrested him was William H. West, a Black man who had fought in the war, the Evening Star reported.
”Gen. Grant was an ardent admirer of a good horse and loved nothing better than to sit behind a pair of spirited animals,” the Star reported. “He was a good driver, and sometimes ‘let them out’ to try their mettle.”
Because of his love for speed, however, Grant found himself in trouble.
Police had been fielding complaints of speeding carriages. While West was on duty, Grant happened to be speeding toward him in his carriage, the Evening Star reported. West informed him that he was speeding, and he promised to stop.
But Grant enjoyed being fast and furious on his carriage. When he ran into West the next evening while again speeding, West didn’t let him off so easy, according to the Post story.
”I am very sorry, Mr. President, to have to do it,” he said, “for you are the chief of the nation, and I am nothing but a policeman, but duty is duty, sir, and I will have to place you under arrest.”
The Post noted that the standards for journalism were different back then, but said the arrest had been confirmed and that there are other historical references to it.
From Trump Tower to Manhattan court, a four-mile drive. See a map. — 12:52 p.m.
By Christina Prignano, Globe Staff
Former president Donald Trump’s drive from Trump Tower, where he arrived Monday, to Manhattan Criminal Court, where he’ll be booked and arraigned Tuesday afternoon, will span four miles.
See a map of both locations:
As Trump’s arrival gets closer, crowds grow at courthouse — 12:38 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The crowds grew larger as the hour drew closer to Trump’s arrival at the courthouse to become the first president in US history to face criminal charges.
New York police had said they were ready for large protests by Trump supporters. A few hundred did show up to support Trump on Tuesday, waving Trump flags and wearing “Make America Great Again” hats.
But security was loose enough in the neighborhood that plenty of passers-by walked through the park just to see what was going on.
At one point, a tour guide led a group of tourists through the area. The guide stopped to take photos of the scene, then continued on. Others lingered after wandering near the large pack of journalists.
What will happen when Trump is arraigned? — 12:29 p.m.
By the Associated Press
An arraignment is a hearing in which the indictment will be formally unsealed and the charges will be read aloud, though Trump could request to waive the public reading. He will be asked how he pleads to the charges and is expected to answer “not guilty.” And Trump’s attorneys Joe Tacopina, Susan Necheles and Todd Blanche, will work with the judge and the district attorney’s office to set a date for the next time he’d be back in court. The judge has ruled that news photographers would be allowed to take photos of the former president at the start of his arraignment.
Couple ‘did not plan for this,’ but gets married next to Trump media frenzy — 12:10 p.m.
By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff
A young couple got married in downtown Manhattan Tuesday morning — just next door to the media scrum waiting for former president Donald Trump’s arraignment to begin.
They had no idea what they were walking into.
Crowds of onlookers and reporters gathered around the Manhattan Criminal Court Tuesday, but at the nearby City Clerk’s office, business was proceeding as usual — and Khalia Beckford and Peter Don, college sweethearts, had a plan for the day: they were going to get married.
While Beckford told BuzzFeed News she “did not plan for this,” she wasn’t going to let the frenzied news cycle upend their plans.
”I heard about it at work but didn’t know this was happening. But it’s dope. It’s a moment, and it’s not going to ruin my big day. The cameras [are] for me. Everyone came for me,” said Beckford, who was wearing a white dress she had purchased the night before from Macy’s. She was the first in line outside the clerk’s office for their 8:30 a.m. appointment, BuzzFeed News reported.
”I’m not thinking about anything. I’m just thinking about being married and just being happy,” Beckford said. “This is our big day.”
Good morning from downtown Manhattan where this lovely couple is getting married right next door to the media scrum waiting for the Trump indictment. pic.twitter.com/vJxcxZDgKX
— Soo Youn (@lalasoo) April 4, 2023
Dueling protests continue outside of Manhattan DA’s office — 11:57 a.m.
By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff
Dueling protests have formed outside of New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office ahead of his arraignment, video posted on social media shows.
On opposite side of the barricades, protesters and counterprotesters shouted at one another, while they held up dueling signs.
Stormy Daniels appears in Vogue, speaks about Trump indictment — 11:45 a.m.
By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff
On the day of Trump’s arraignment in New York, Vogue published an in-depth piece on Stormy Daniels, the woman at the center of the hush money case. Trump was indicted last week by a Manhattan grand jury in connection with an alleged payment to the adult film star during the final days of his 2016 presidential campaign. His indictment followed a lengthy investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office into the payment to Daniels, who has alleged she had an affair with Trump. The precise charges Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is expected to bring have not yet been released.
Daniels said she wasn’t called to testify before the grand jury, and told Vogue that the details of why her payment was arranged by Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney, are murky to her. Throughout the interview, she was “hyper-focused” on correcting misconceptions about the story of her encounter with Trump. She said what happened in the hotel room with Trump remains, in part, blank.
”I know I didn’t say no. But I also know I didn’t say yes. I wasn’t threatened ... I don’t know. I just don’t know,” Daniels said. “What really hurts is that I’ve seen stories since, that are like, identical to mine, and I think — if I’d come forward earlier, could I have kept that stuff from happening?”
Daniels lives Florida with her husband, but is not a Trump supporter. She told Vogue she is hopeful that if Trump does face additional charges that she will be able to fade into the background of the national discourse.
”For my own sake, I’d like vindication, I’d like him to get what’s coming for once,” she said.
”My life is so crazy—at this point, I wouldn’t even be surprised if I wind up president one day,” Daniels added.
Indictment documents won’t be public until after arraignment — 11:36 a.m.
By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff
The whole world’s wondering what precisely former president Donald Trump will be charged with when he’s arraigned Tuesday afternoon in a Manhattan criminal courtroom, but observers of the unprecedented American legal saga can’t get the information ahead of time online and won’t be able to watch the proceedings live on television.
A search of Trump’s name late Tuesday morning on the website of the New York state judiciary database turned up nothing, and a spokesperson for the judiciary said the indictment paperwork will be available sometime Tuesday in Courtroom 1000.
Trump is reportedly not expected to have a mug shot taken — 11:31 a.m.
By The New York Times
Donald Trump is not expected to be handcuffed, and he will likely not have a mug shot taken, according to The New York Times, which cited several people with knowledge of the matter.
Under New York state law, authorities must take the fingerprints of anyone charged with a felony. But law enforcement officials have discretion over whether they take a mug shot.
Mug shots are meant to help authorities identify a defendant and find them if they flee; in such instances, the photographs are distributed to law enforcement agencies and sometimes the media in order to help apprehend the fugitive.
But Trump is not considered a significant flight risk, and as he is a former president who hosted a widely popular reality television show after spending decades as a fixture of the tabloids, photographs of him are more than readily available.
Several officials also said there was concern that a mug shot of Trump, which would be provided to the New York Police Department and other agencies, would be leaked. That would be a violation of law and could prompt an investigation and a political firestorm.
Taking Trump’s mug shot would also be complicated for logistical reasons, one law enforcement official said. He is expected to surrender to authorities at the Manhattan Criminal Courts Building. The official said that facility does not have the equipment necessary to take Trump’s mug shot.
Watch a live feed from outside of Manhattan court — 11:14 a.m.
By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff
Reporters, police, and spectators have gathered outside of the Manhattan courthouse where Trump is set to be arraigned.
Reporters appear to outnumber protesters at rally attended by Greene — 10:53 a.m.
By Amanda Kaufman and Jess Bidgood, Globe Staff
Reporters have vastly outnumbered the number of protesters at Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Manhattan rally, according to Globe reporter Jess Bidgood.
I would estimate a 1,000: 1 reporter to protester ratio here at the Marjorie Taylor Greene rally pic.twitter.com/WlcPzQvo1S
— Jess Bidgood (@jessbidgood) April 4, 2023
Marjorie Taylor Greene arrives to protest. then leaves — 10:46 a.m.
By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia arrived at the rally on Tuesday morning outside the courthouse in New York where Trump will be arraigned later to a packed and rowdy crowd.
Greene, a vocal supporter of Trump who was being hosted by the New York Young Republican Club, found herself in a scene one reporter described as “utter pandemonium” as counterprotesters and protesters alike drowned her out with their with chants, cheers, and boos.
She quickly left after delivering a brief speech that was described as “impossible to hear,” with her security attempting to get her out of the crowd.
Late-night hosts mock Trump ahead of his arraignment — 10:35 a.m.
By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff
Ahead of Donald Trump’s much anticipated arraignment in New York on Tuesday, late-night hosts seized on the opportunity to lambast the former president prior to his appearance in a Manhattan courthouse. While the hosts have been airing segments and delivering quips about Trump in the days leading up to his arraignment, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, and Stephen Colbert held no punches on Monday night.
Fallon set the scene in the city, joking that it was a “lovely day” outside, with both tulips and police barricades “blooming” all around. Colbert, who often berates Trump for the scandals and controversies he has been involved in, touched on a number of details related to the case with humor — from whether Trump will have to take a mugshot to Republican talking points about the ordeal. He mockingly flashed a number of pictures of Trump, including one of him playing tennis, that could be used as his mugshot.
Meanwhile, Meyers took a closer look in a lengthy segment in the hours before Trump surrenders to authorities, calling it “arraignment eve.”
”I honestly never thought I’d say the words ‘Donald Trump has been indicted.’ True story: we’ve had that cue card ready for seven years now,” Meyers said. “It’s so dusty I can barely read the words.”
To emphasize his point, a man was shown blowing off inches of dust from the card.
Jimmy covers Trump’s arrival in New York ahead of tomorrow’s arraignment in tonight’s monologue. Tune in at 11:35/10:35c on @nbc. #FallonTonight pic.twitter.com/fJO2D3Cthi
— The Tonight Show (@FallonTonight) April 4, 2023
Happy arraignment eve, everyone! Seth takes #ACloserLook at the final hours before Trump surrenders to authorities. https://t.co/fuwWIau7BP
— Late Night with Seth Meyers (@LateNightSeth) April 4, 2023
Here’s why Trump’s booking will go much faster than others — 10:17 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Before computers, information on every criminal suspect would be written down in a big book kept by court officials. Now, it’s all computerized, but the process is largely the same.
Court officers will take down Trump’s full name, age, birthdate, height and weight. They’ll check to see if the former president has any outstanding warrants. They’ll take his fingerprints — but they won’t roll his fingertips in ink; these days that’s done by computer, too. Officers will roll each fingertip on a computerized system that records the prints.
They may take his photo, known as a mug shot. In New York, this process usually takes about two hours, but can be as long as four. But no one else is getting processed when Trump arrives, so it will go much faster. Then he goes before a judge.
Court officials are trying to limit what business is happening at the courthouse — 10:10 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Court officials are trying to limit what business is happening at the courthouse at 100 Centre St. in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday.
Police are expected to close some streets around the plaza and security will be tight.
The New York Police Department is in charge of security in the city, but state court officers are in charge of security inside the court.
What is the order of events for today? — 10:07 a.m.
By the Associated Press
- Donald Trump will leave Trump Tower on Tuesday and make the nearly 4-mile drive to the Manhattan criminal courthouse
- He is scheduled to face a judge for his arraignment at 2:15 p.m.
- Trump will fly back to his Mar-a-Lago estate
George Santos arrives outside of Manhattan courthouse — 10:01 a.m.
By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff
Photos and videos posted by journalists on social media showed streets closed at the back of the Manhattan courthouse where Trump will be arraigned Tuesday afternoon, along with metal fencing extended into other surrounding streets.
Ahead of Trump’s arrival, his supporters — many dressed in attire baring his name, “MAGA,” and the American flag — spoke to the press outside of the courthouse.
Confrontations soon began to emerge as opposing sides argued and police struggled to break up the fights, video showed.
Chaos erupted when Representative George Santos of New York arrived and reporters swarmed the congressman embroiled in his own controversy.
Santos has been swarmed by 100+ reporters. It’s utter chaos. pic.twitter.com/qC2SA2Q9MK
— David Mack (@davidmackau) April 4, 2023
Police add extra barricades near courthouse — 9:54 a.m.
By Amanda Kaufman and Jess Bidgood, Globe Staff
Near Manhattan’s Collect Pond Park, where Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene is set to hold a rally in support of Donald Trump, police are adding extra barricades.
Good morning from Collect Pond Park in Manhattan, where Marjorie Taylor Greene is planning to be at a rally in support of Trump in a little while. Police are adding extra barricades and there are some anti-Trump protestors here, too pic.twitter.com/KyU1rfOj3I
— Jess Bidgood (@jessbidgood) April 4, 2023
Reporters, spectators line up overnight outside courthouse — 9:48 a.m.
By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff
Ahead of Donald Trump’s appearance at a Manhattan courthouse, reporters, protesters, onlookers, law enforcement, and other officials crowded the area outside the courthouse, hoping for a firsthand view on the extraordinary moment.
See photos and videos of the scene.
Reporters, spectators line up overnight outside courthouse — 9:40 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Spectators, many of them members of the news media, lined up overnight to get a seat inside the courtroom, or even just a glimpse of Trump, who wasn’t expected until Tuesday afternoon.
The building was surrounded by barricades, and people were undergoing layers of security checks. The reporters waiting in line were camped out under tents with lawn chairs, blankets, and pizza boxes. Some reporters even hired professional line holders.
The nation’s 45th commander in chief was expected to be escorted from New York City’s Trump Tower — also surrounded by barricades — into a lower Manhattan courthouse by the Secret Service.
Journalists waited outside a New York City courthouse early Tuesday, in preparation for former President Donald Trump’s arraignment. https://t.co/ydQFoPZ8B1 pic.twitter.com/tyhJ1XgfMi
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 4, 2023
A line of reporters has formed outside of the courthouse ahead of Trump’s arraignment tomorrow.
— Dylan Wells (@dylanewells) April 3, 2023
A professional line holder is first in line — he says he got here at 4pm and will be here until tomorrow morning, and won’t reveal what outlet hired him. pic.twitter.com/O0puwGwMCi
People begin to gather in park outside courthouse — 9:22 a.m.
By the Associated Press
People began gathering Tuesday morning for a “Rally for Trump” in a park outside the courthouse where the former president is scheduled to be arraigned.
The rally with Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene was scheduled to start midmorning, several hours ahead of Donald Trump’s court appearance.
Trump supporters also are expected expected to gather at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida on Tuesday night as he returns.
District Attorney Alvin Bragg arrives at Manhattan court — 8:51 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg arrived at court Tuesday morning in New York ahead of former President Donald Trump’s arraignment.
Bragg became Manhattan’s first Black district attorney in 2022, following his election the previous November. He inherited a yearslong grand jury investigation into hush money paid on Trump’s behalf during his 2016 presidential campaign.
After taking office, Bragg slowed his office’s move toward an indictment of Trump and said he had concerns about the strength of the case. That sparked a public protest by two prosecutors who were leading the investigation and resigned.
But Bragg convened a new grand jury this year after convicting Trump’s family company for tax fraud. He called that result a “strong demarcation line” for proceeding with other parts of the probe.
‘No guilty plea,’ Trump attorney says — 8:14 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump attorney Joe Tacopina said the former president’s appearance in court for Tuesday’s arraignment would be brief because the processing “does not take long.”
“It won’t be a long day in court,” he said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
“We know the basis of the indictment and the factual allegations in the indictment,” Tacopina said, adding Trump would maintain his innocence.
“One thing I can assure you as I sit here today, there’ll be no guilty plea in this case. That’s one thing I can guarantee you,” he said.
Tacopina appeared to predict the case would ultimately be dismissed.
“I don’t think this case is going to see a juror,” he said. “I think there’s a legal challenge that will be made and should be made successfully.”
How Trump’s indictment might play in New Hampshire primary — 6:02 a.m.
By Steven Porter, Globe staff
With the New Hampshire presidential primary less than 10 months away, former president Donald Trump’s indictment in New York is certain to linger over the campaign trail as he competes with current and past GOP allies for the 2024 nomination.
What’s less certain is whether Trump’s prosecution will hamper his electoral ambitions. Some political observers in New Hampshire said the court case is more likely to buoy his chances. .
John P. Lappie, an assistant professor of political science at Plymouth State University, said the indictment appears to be energizing Trump’s base.
“It seems like this is, if anything, giving Trump a boost in the primary by kind of creating a rally-around-the-flag effect,” he said.
Judge refuses TV cameras in Trump courtroom, limits media access — 5:43 a.m.
by The Washington Post
The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s arraignment turned down a formal request from news organizations to have TV cameras in his courtroom and granted journalists limited access to what he acknowledged was a “historic” proceeding.
In a ruling late Monday, Judge Juan M. Merchan said he would permit five news photographers to take still pictures of Trump’s appearance in a Manhattan court on Tuesday but ruled that they would have to leave once the arraignment began.
He also approved TV cameras in the hallways of the Manhattan courthouse where Trump will surrender, but he said reporters would not be able to carry electronic recording devices into his courtroom or to “overflow” rooms in the building.
The ruling effectively means that the public won’t learn the details of Trump’s arraignment - an unprecedented event of global significance - until it’s over.
The former president is scheduled to appear in court at 2:15 p.m. Tuesday for his arraignment - a criminal defendant’s first court appearance - on charges stemming from an investigation into hush money paid to an adult-film actress during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Trump is heading to court. Here’s what to expect. — 3:07 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Former President Donald Trump is set to appear in a Manhattan courtroom Tuesday on charges related to falsifying business records in a hush-money investigation, the first president ever to be charged with a crime.
Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing and has repeatedly assailed the investigation, has called the indictment “political persecution” and predicted it would damage Democrats in 2024. Trump’s lawyers have said the former president “did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in court.”
What to expect:
What’s the plan?
Trump flew into New York from his Mar-a-Lago estate on Monday and is expected to leave Trump Tower on Tuesday and make the nearly four-mile drive to the Manhattan criminal courthouse, where he is scheduled to face a judge for his arraignment at 2:15 p.m. EDT.
Trump to surrender to criminal charges today — 12:18 a.m.
By the Associated Press
An extraordinary moment in U.S. history is scheduled to unfold in a Manhattan courthouse Tuesday: Former President Donald Trump, who faces multiple election-related investigations, will surrender to face criminal charges stemming from 2016 hush money payments.
The booking and arraignment are likely to be relatively brief — though hardly routine — as Trump is fingerprinted, learns the exact charges against him and pleads, as expected, not guilty.
Trump, who was impeached twice by the U.S. House but was never convicted in the U.S. Senate, will become the first former president to face criminal charges. The nation’s 45th commander in chief will be escorted from Trump Tower to the courthouse by the Secret Service and may have his mug shot taken.
New York police are braced for protests by Trump supporters, who share the former president’s belief that the New York grand jury indictment — and three additional pending investigations — are politically motivated and intended to weaken his bid to retake the White House in 2024.
For archived live updates on Trump’s indictment, click here.