31 Minutes ago
Manhattan DA Bragg filed 117 counts for falsifying business records
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks to attendees during the National Action Network National Convention in New York, April 7, 2022.
Eduardo Munoz | Reuters
Since Alvin Bragg became Manhattan’s district attorney, his office has filed multiple felony counts for falsifying business records, NBC News reported.
New York prosecutors have filed 117 of those crimes against 29 individuals and companies since Bragg was in charge in 2022, according to internal data from the DA’s office reported by NBC.
It was unclear what specific charges the Manhattan grand jury was considering. But the data, first reported by The New York Times, comes amid speculation that Bragg may be pursuing a case against Trump that rests largely on the charge of falsifying business records.
Bragg’s investigation centers on a 2016 hush money payment of $130,000 by former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen to porn star Stormy Daniels, who alleged she had an affair with Trump years ago. Trump denied the test. The payment was made before the 2016 presidential election in which Trump competed. The Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen for the settlement, recording it as a legal expense.
— Kevin Breuinger
An Hour ago
Here’s what a possible Trump arrest would look like in New York
A chalk graffitti was found on a street outside the offices of the District Attorney, after a message posted on the Truth Social account of former US President Donald Trump said that he hoped he would be arrested, and called on his supporters to protest, in New York City, US March 22, 2023.
Andrew Kelly | Reuters
Trump will become the first former president in US history to face criminal charges – and under the unprecedented circumstances, his possible arrest could happen in several ways, said the CNBC’s legal experts.
If the Manhattan grand jury votes to indict Trump after hearing evidence from the district attorney’s investigation into the 2016 porn star hush money payment, the resulting indictment will first be filed under seal. Trump’s lawyers will be notified of the indictment and negotiate a surrender date for their client.
Trump can travel directly to the district attorney’s office in lower Manhattan to turn himself in, where he will be formally arrested and have his fingerprints and mugshot taken.
After being booked, Trump will be brought to court for his arraignment. It’s unclear whether Trump will be seen in handcuffs or have to do a “perp walk” — having to walk down the courthouse hallway in handcuffs in front of the press — on the way to his arraignment.
Once announced the charges against him and asked to enter a plea — not guilty being the preferred option — Trump is likely to be released without having to post bail.
— Kevin Breuinger
2 Hours Ago
Trump said he welcomed a possible ‘perp walk,’ the NYT reported
Trump said he welcomed the idea of having to do a “perp walk” — walking through a crowd of reporters, photographers and other onlookers on his way to a courthouse — after his possible arrest. criminal charges, The New York Times reported.
Trump even wondered if he should smile for the cameras, according to the Times, citing multiple sources close to the former president.
But no one is sure whether Trump’s remarks were “bravado or genuine resignation,” the newspaper reported. Trump seems disconnected from the legal threats against him in recent days, people who have recently spent time with him told the Times.
Trump can avoid the spectacle: The US Secret Service agents who protect him will work to keep him out of public view while he is booked, NBC News reported.
A spokesperson for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.
— Kevin Breuinger
3 Hours Ago
Cohen’s lawyer told him to avoid media appearances
Michael Cohen (C), former lawyer and fixer of Donald Trump, leaves the Manhattan courthouse after testifying before the grand jury, in New York, United States on March 15, 2023.
Works of Fatih | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen was told to avoid media interviews after he appeared on MSNBC’s Ari Melber’s show on Monday to discuss the grand jury investigation.
“Due to the sensitivity of the time period I have advised Michael not to make any more TV appearances until further notice,” Cohen’s lawyer Lanny Davis said.
Cohen regularly comments to reporters as he walks in and out of meetings with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, and has gone on television to discuss the investigation.
He is also the key witness in the criminal case against Trump, being the man who paid porn actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election not to speak to the media about her admission of a 2006 sexual assault. try with Trump.
— Dan Manganese