Former U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that he expects to be charged in New York in connection with alleged hush-money payments made to an adult film star.
Should charges be brought against him, the manner in which he is handled by law-enforcement officials may be unprecedented.
A person familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that Trump probably won’t be put in handcuffs.
A report from Bloomberg says, “While Trump will get fingerprinted and have his mug-shot taken, he won’t be marched before cameras in handcuffs or placed in a holding cell, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified because the details aren’t public. He’ll likely remain in the custody of the Secret Service agents assigned to his protection detail, the person said.”
The report noted former federal prosecutor Temidayo Aganga-Williams said that Trump’s status as a former president “will lead to somewhat different treatment” and that the security assessments “are different here than if he was a private citizen.”
“He is less likely to be seen as a security threat than a previously unknown defendant,” Aganga-Williams added.
The former president is currently the subject of a probe into the alleged payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who claims she had an affair with Trump in 2006.
Michael Cohen, a former lawyer for Trump, has already been convicted of campaign finance violations and other charges related to the payments made to Daniels and another woman.
Trump denies having an affair with Daniels, calling the investigation “a political Witch-Hunt.”
