Donald Trump will face 34 felony charges for falsification of business records in connection to hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, a report says.
But the one-term president will not be made to have a mugshot, wear handcuffs or be placed in a jail cell before he is led into a New York City to be arraigned, sources told Yahoo News.
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg has reportedly consulted with the Secret Service and New York City court officials and decided that there was no reason to put Mr Trump through the normal procedure of being cuffed and having a photo taken.
Mr Trump, who is protected around the clock by federal agents, is not viewed as a flight risk or a risk to court officials and therefore does not need to be cuffed, the DA’s office concluded.
Following publication of the report, the former president took to Truth Social to accuse Mr Bragg of “illegally” leaking details of the “pathetic” indictment against him.
“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. 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!
“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!” he wrote on his social media platform.
The report states that a New York City Police report summarising the charges against the former president will be entered into the court system and Mr Trump will then be brought into the courtroom to be arraigned.
While falsification of business records is normally a misdemeanour, prosecutors have increased them to Class E felonies, the lowest level in New York state, because they claim that it was intended to conceal another underlying crime, according to the report.
Mr Trump allegedly made the payments Stormy Daniels to prevent her from revealing an affair he had with her before the 2016 election.
The indictment, which is currently still under seal, was filed with the New York Supreme Court late last Thursday, just before the court clerk’s office wrapped its business for the day.
The twice-impeached former president’s plane landed at LaGuardia Airport in Queens on Monday and he is staying overnight at his Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue on Monday night before his court appearance downtown on Tuesday afternoon.
Law enforcement is on high alert and barricades have been erected around Trump Tower and Manhattan Criminal Court, where Mr Trump will appear before Judge Juan Merchan at 2.15pm.
