NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump said in a social media post that he expects to be arrested Tuesday as a New York prosecutor is eyeing charges in a case examining hush money paid to women who alleged sexual encounters with the former president. Trump provided no evidence that suggested he was directly informed of a pending arrest and did not say how he knew of such plans.
But in a Saturday morning message on his Truth Social network, Trump noted “illegal leaks” from the Manhattan district attorney’s office that he said indicate “THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK.”
Danielle Filson of the district attorney’s office said prosecutors “will decline to confirm or comment” on questions pertaining to Trump’s post, as well as potential charges. A Trump spokesman did not immediately respond to calls for comment.
The indictment of Trump, 76, would be an extraordinary development after years of investigations into his business, political and personal dealings. Inspire critics who say 2024 presidential candidate Trump lied and cheated his way to the top, and encourage supporters who think Republicans are being unfairly targeted by Democratic prosecutors. I guess.
There was no official announcement on the timeline for the grand jury’s covert operations in the case, including a possible vote on whether to indict the former president.
Trump’s post is reminiscent of when Truth Social broke the news last summer that the FBI was raiding his home as part of an investigation into possible misuse of classified documents.
A grand jury in Manhattan said in 2016 that he arranged to pay two women to shut up about having sex with Trump a decade ago. Former Trump attorney Michael He spoke to witnesses, including Cohen.
Trump has denied the encounter, saying he did nothing wrong and calling the investigation a “witch hunt” by Democratic prosecutors to sabotage the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential campaign. says. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office is investigating whether the payment violated state law or how Trump’s firm compensated Cohen for keeping the woman’s allegations private.
Daniels and at least two former Trump aides — former political adviser Kellyanne Conway and former spokeswoman Hope Hicks — are among witnesses who have met with prosecutors in recent weeks.
Cohen said he arranged payments to porn actor Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal at Trump’s direction totaling $280,000. Cohen said the payment was meant to buy silence against Trump, who was in the middle of his first presidential campaign at the time.
Cohen and federal prosecutors said the company paid him his $420,000 to compensate him for paying Daniels his $130,000 and to cover bonuses and other alleged expenses. rice field. The company has classified these payments internally as legal expenses. Her $150,000 payment to McDougal was made by the then-editor of the National Enquirer, a supermarket tabloid, to prevent her story from coming to light.
Federal prosecutors agreed not to prosecute Enquirer’s parent company in exchange for their cooperation in the campaign finance investigation that led to indictments against Cohen in 2018. said it was an inappropriate and unregistered gift to the campaign.
Cohen pleaded guilty to her guilt, served a prison sentence, and was disfellowshipped. Federal prosecutors have never charged Trump with a crime.
His AP writer Meg Kinnard from Columbia, South Carolina contributed to this report.
