Former President Donald Trump made history on Tuesday as he became the first former U.S. president to be arrested and criminally charged. Trump surrendered at a Manhattan courthouse and pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
The charges stem from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation into Trump’s business dealings, including the payment of $130,000 in hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign to conceal an alleged affair with Trump.
Trump arrived in New York on Monday from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and spent the night at his Trump Tower complex on Fifth Avenue. He was accompanied by his lawyers and a large security detail as he entered the courthouse on Tuesday morning.
He was not handcuffed or subjected to a mug shot, as Bragg’s office concluded that there was no reason to treat him like a typical defendant. However, he was fingerprinted and had his arrest report prepared before he was led into the courtroom.
Trump appeared before Acting Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan at 2:15 p.m. and heard the indictment against him. He entered a not guilty plea and waived his right to have the charges read aloud. He also agreed to abide by certain conditions, such as surrendering his passport, not leaving the country without permission, and not contacting any potential witnesses or co-defendants.
Merchan also imposed a gag order on Trump, barring him from making any public statements about the case or criticizing the prosecutors or the judge. He warned Trump that any violation of the gag order could result in contempt of court charges or revocation of bail.
Trump’s lawyers said they would challenge the indictment and seek to have it dismissed on various grounds, such as statute of limitations, double jeopardy, and selective prosecution. They also accused Bragg of conducting a politically motivated witch hunt against Trump.
Bragg defended his decision to charge Trump, saying that he was following the evidence and the law. He said that Trump’s alleged conduct amounted to a “massive fraud” that harmed his creditors, business partners, and tax authorities.
The indictment alleges that Trump and his associates falsified business records to conceal payments to Daniels and other women who claimed to have had affairs with him. It also alleges that they inflated the value of Trump’s assets and income to obtain loans and tax benefits, and deflated them to avoid paying taxes and insurance premiums.
The indictment also names several co-defendants, including Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty in 2018 to campaign finance violations related to the hush money payments; Trump’s former chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, who pleaded not guilty in July 2021 to tax fraud charges; and several Trump Organization entities.
The case is expected to go to trial later this year or early next year. If convicted, Trump could face up to four years in prison for each count of falsifying business records. However, legal experts say that it is unlikely that he would receive such a harsh sentence as a first-time offender.
Trump’s arrest has sparked mixed reactions from his supporters and critics. Outside the courthouse, hundreds of protesters gathered, some chanting “Lock him up” and others waving “Trump 2024” flags. Several lawmakers and political figures also weighed in on the case, with some calling it a “sad day for America” and others calling it a “victory for justice”.
Trump is also facing several other legal challenges, including a civil lawsuit from New York Attorney General Letitia James accusing him of fraud and misconduct; a criminal investigation from Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis into his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results; and several defamation lawsuits from women who accused him of sexual assault or harassment.
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