On Tuesday, the former President of the United States, Donald Trump, arrived at a courthouse in Manhattan for his arraignment on charges related to a payment made to a porn actress during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Prior to arriving at the courthouse, Trump pumped his fist while leaving Trump Tower and then traveled by an eight-car motorcade down a highway along the East River to the downtown courthouse.
Upon arrival, he surrendered to the authorities to be processed, which may include being fingerprinted and having his mug shot taken.
Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records and conspiracy for his alleged role in hush money payments to two women in 2016.
“The People of the State of New York allege that Donald J. Trump repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal crimes that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Manhattan is home to the country’s most significant business market. We cannot allow New York businesses to manipulate their records to cover up criminal conduct. As the Statement of Facts describes, the trail of money and lies exposes a pattern that, the People allege, violates one of New York’s basic and fundamental business laws. As this office has done time and time again, we today uphold our solemn responsibility to ensure that everyone stands equal before the law.”
Read the indictment by clicking here.
We just announced a 34-count felony indictment of former President Donald J. Trump. Learn more: https://t.co/PTTh2zlsvv pic.twitter.com/IUE6JjdrS2
— Alvin Bragg (@ManhattanDA) April 4, 2023
This is a significant moment in U.S. history after years of investigations into Trump’s activities, which he calls a ‘witch hunt.’
The arraignment before Judge Juan Merchan is expected to be brief, but it is far from routine, as Trump will learn of the charges against him for the first time.
Judge Merchan has ruled that TV cameras will not be allowed in the courtroom.
Following his arraignment, Trump is scheduled to fly back to Florida for a primetime address from Mar-A-Lago.
You can watch live coverage HERE.
