A grand jury has indicted former President Donald Trump, his attorney Susan Necheles and the Manhattan District Attorney confirmed Thursday.
It’s the first time in history a former president has been indicted. The specific charge or charges have not been made public. An indictment is not a conviction.
According to Trump’s defense team, he is expected to turn himself in next week.
In a statement on Thursday, the former president called it “Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history.” His attorneys said in a statement “we will vigorously fight this.”
The Manhattan District Attorney has been investigating the former president for allegedly falsifying business records in connection with a “hush money” payout made to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. Trump has maintained his innocence and has denied ever having a relationship with Daniels.
Trump predicted last week he’d be arrested by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and called on his supporters to “protest, take our country back” upon his arrest. At a rally in Waco, Texas, over the weekend, Trump continued to deny any connection to Daniels and suggested the case had been dropped.
Here is some of the reaction from Trump, lawmakers, his allies, critics and more:
