Trump Calls for Immediate Charges After Sealed Indictment Is Leaked to Press
A report detailing the number of felony counts former President Donald Trump will face in court Tuesday brought a blazing response from the former president.
In a post on his Truth Social platform Monday night, Trump blamed Democratic Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for the leak and said the New York prosecutor himself should be indicted.
“Wow! District Attorney Bragg just illegally LEAKED the various points, and complete information, on the pathetic Indictment against me. I know the reporter and so, unfortunately, does he. This means that he MUST BE IMMEDIATELY INDICTED,” he said.
“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!” Trump posted.
The district attorney’s wife, Jamila Ponton Bragg, has frequently criticized the former president on Twitter.
Trump followed that up with one more post.
“D.A. BRAGG JUST ILLEGALLY LEAKED THE 33 points of Indictment. There are no changes or surprises from those he leaked days ago directly out of the Grand Jury. No Crime by Trump. What a MESS. Bragg should resign, NOW!” Trump posted.
According to Yahoo, Trump will face 34 felony counts charging him with falsification of business records.
It cited “a source who has been briefed on the procedures for the arraignment of the former president” as the source of its report.
Last week, NBC News reported there were two instances of hush money payments upon which Trump had been indicted.
That report — which cited two sources it did not name — said the number of counts in the indictment “likely stems from prosecutors making separate charges for each payment in question.”
The details remain under wraps, but the payments allegedly include those to porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal, both of whom alleged they had sexual relationships with Trump and were paid for their silence during the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump has denied the allegations.
As noted by CNN, the foundation for making the charges a felony — instead of a misdemeanor, as usual — would be that records were falsified to aid in another crime or conceal a crime. That would elevate the allegations to a Class E felony.
The Yahoo report said Trump, who arrived in New York City yesterday, will not face handcuffs, be put in a holding cell or have a mugshot taken.
Trump attorney Joe Tacopina said Tuesday the court session will not take very long, according to ABC News.
“One thing I can assure you as I sit here today is there will be no guilty plea in this case,” Tacopina said. “That is one thing I can guarantee you.”
“I think there will be a typical processing, which does not take long — 20, 30 minutes,” he said. “And then we’ll appear before a judge, you know, deal with a couple issues right off the bat and it won’t be a long day in court.”
Trump’s legal team will go on the attack after the indictment is unsealed, Tacopina said.
“I don’t think this case is going to see a jury. I think it’s going to go away on papers. I think there’s a legal challenge that will be made and should be made successfully,” he said.
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