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Former US President Donald Trump is about to face historic criminal charges over alleged “hush payments” to a porn star.
He arrived in New York City on Monday (April 3) local time and is expected to appear in court on Tuesday.
The former president, who led the White House for four years, will then face a judge. The arraignment procedure includes fingerprints and facial photos taken without hats.
Trump, 76, is the first former U.S. president to be criminally prosecuted.
He is planning to run for the presidency again and participate in the 2024 US election.
What is going on in this case? How important is it? This article takes you to understand quickly.
What’s the latest development?
On Monday, Trump traveled from his home in Florida to New York, where he will be formally arrested and appear in court.
Authorities had stepped up security on Monday in anticipation of a demonstration outside the Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday. The American media are also making comprehensive follow-up reports on this case.
The indictments facing Trump will be made public during the hearing. Trump is expected to surrender at the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg before being formally arraigned, meaning the charges against him will be read out in court, followed by his plea.
Before leaving Florida for New York, Trump called it a “witch hunt” on his own social platform “Truth Social”.
Ahead of the formal arraignment, Trump’s legal team will be joined by a new attorney, Todd Blanche.
The former president is expected to be granted bail by the court to leave and return to Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday night to address supporters at 20:15 local time.
Last week, a New York jury voted to indict Trump, meaning they believed there was enough evidence to criminally indict the former president.
We do not know at this time what specific indictments and charges will be – the indictment will be fully released at the time of the arraignment.
However, Trump’s lawyers have said the former president will deny the charges.
But for weeks, jurors have been hearing evidence that Trump paid adult film actress Stormy Daniels to remain silent.
The incident took place before Trump became president of the United States and later defeated Hillary Clinton in the 2016 US election.
Trump, porn stars and ‘hush money’: What happened to the Daniels case
What charges is Trump facing?
Stormy Daniels said she had an affair with Trump in 2006, which he has always denied.
In 2016, Daniels tried to sell her story to the media. Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 (£105,000) to keep silent.
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stormy daniels
This type of payment is known as a gag. The gag order itself is not illegal, but Manhattan prosecutors are investigating whether business records related to the payment were falsified.
That’s what got Trump into trouble — when Cohen reimbursed the expense, his account records claimed the payment was a legal fee, which was accused of being fraudulent.
Because it happened just as Americans were about to go to the polls, it may also have violated laws about paying to help campaigns.
The case will go to trial and Trump will offer his version, but we don’t know when that will happen.
He has denied any wrongdoing and said the prosecution was politically motivated.
Before Trump arrived in New York, journalists were stationed on every corner around Trump Tower in Manhattan, and at least five helicopters circled the area.
After arriving, Trump waved to the media and the crowd, and walked into the building surrounded by heavy security.
If convicted, will Trump go to jail?
The ultimate possibility of legal proceedings in this case is a fine, but it is also possible to go to jail.
If any of the charges are serious crimes, Trump could face up to four years in prison.
According to US media reports, Trump faces at least one serious crime prosecution; other media reports that he faces about 30 crimes.
However, legal experts told the BBC that jail terms were highly unlikely.
Can Trump still run?
Can. Even if Trump is now indicted, there is nothing in the U.S. Constitution that would prevent Trump from continuing his campaign.
Even if he’s in prison, he could theoretically still run and even be elected president of the United States.
However, there are practical considerations.
Protracted lawsuits and litigation are huge distractions for a presidential campaign—in terms of time, energy, and the timing of campaign rallies.
Trump’s 2024 campaign has raised more than $8 million since news of his indictment broke last week, according to Trump’s campaign.
Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene planned a pro-Trump rally near the courthouse on Tuesday.
New York officials said that unlike the eve of the Congressional riots in 2021, this time they did not see a large influx of demonstrators.
U.S. President Joe Biden said on Monday that he was concerned about possible unrest in New York, but “I have confidence in the New York Police Department.”
Trump’s past investigations
He faced two congressional investigations, known as impeachment, during his presidency, but was acquitted by the Senate both times.
Now that he is out of office, he can no longer be impeached, but he can be indicted and face a series of criminal investigations.
These investigations are continuing. In the coming months, we will have more news.