Former U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to be arraigned on Tuesday for 34 felony counts related to alleged falsification of business records.
The charges stem from his alleged involvement in hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.
According to a source familiar with the procedures, Trump will be informed of the charges before being led into a courtroom for the formal arraignment.
None of the charges are expected to be misdemeanors.
However, the former president will not be handcuffed, put in a cell, or subjected to a mug shot.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office concluded there was no need for such measures since Trump is protected at all times by Secret Service agents.
Several prominent Republicans have come out in support of Trump in light of the charges. Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz called the charges “political persecution” and “utter garbage.”
Meanwhile, Missouri GOP Senator Josh Hawley called the indictment “an assault on our democracy,” and former South Carolina Governor and 2024 GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley accused the Manhattan District Attorney of engaging in a politically motivated prosecution.
“From everything I have seen from this New York district attorney is that this would be something he’d be doing for political points. I think what we know is, when you get into political prosecutions like this, it’s more about revenge than it is about justice,” she said.
Last week, Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis announced that the state would not cooperate with any request to extradite Trump, saying that the weaponization of the legal system for political purposes was un-American.
While falsification of business records can be prosecuted in New York State as a misdemeanor, Bragg’s office has decided to pursue Class E felony charges against Trump.
The lowest end of the felony spectrum, a Class E felony conviction can result in up to four years imprisonment for falsifying business records.
However, Trump is likely to be viewed as a first offender if convicted at all.
The evidence for the crime that raised Trump’s case to felony-level charges won’t be revealed until the indictment is unsealed.
Some had speculated that a mug shot of Trump would become iconic and emblematic of the alleged “witch hunt” against him, but Bragg’s office deemed such measures unnecessary.
Trump responded to the news of his arraignment with a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, accusing Bragg of leaking information about the indictment and calling for the District Attorney to indict himself.
“Wow! District Attorney Bragg just illegally LEAKED the various points, and complete information, on the pathetic Indictment against me,” he said in the post. “I know the reporter and so, unfortunately, does he. This means that he MUST BE IMMEDIATELY INDICTED. Now, if he wants to really clean up his reputation, he will do the honorable thing and, as District Attorney, INDICT HIMSELF. He will go down in Judicial history, and his Trump Hating wife will be, I am sure, very proud of him!”
