Bomb Threat Shuts Down Manhattan Court Before Trump Lawsuit Hearing

Topline

A Manhattan courthouse was shut down Tuesday due to a bomb threat as a hearing involving a $250 million lawsuit against President Donald Trump was set to begin, though authorities quickly determined the threat was not credible, as preparations for unrest ahead of Trump’s potential indictment are made.

Authorities briefly shut down the courthouse at 60 Centre Street in New York City on Tuesday after … [+] receiving a bomb threat. (Photo by: Mel Longhurst/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Key Facts

The threat came in just as a judge at state civil court was preparing to begin the hearing in the Trump case, according to Bloomberg, but court spokesman Lucian Chalfen told Forbes there’s “no indication” the threat was directly related to the Trump case.

The courthouse at 60 Centre Street—where the hearing was being held—was shut down and searched for around half an hour before proceedings resumed, Chalfen said, including the Trump hearing.

Surprising Fact

The $250 million civil case brought against Trump by New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) is unrelated to a Manhattan grand jury’s investigation that could lead to criminal charges against the former president. James filed suit against Trump, the Trump Organization and his children last year over alleged financial fraud, claiming Trump lied about the value of his assets to inflate his net worth and secure better business deals. Trump and the other defendants have denied the allegations.

Key Background

Multiple news reports and even Trump himself have predicted the first criminal indictment of a former president in history is imminent. The years-long investigation by the Manhattan district attorney involves a $130,000 payment sent to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign, which she says was hush money to keep her from going public about a rumored affair she had with Trump years earlier—an allegation Trump has denied. Former Trump fixer Michael Cohen signed the check to Daniels, and Trump allegedly reimbursed Cohen and labeled the cost as a legal fee, which prosecutors could say constituted a felony illegal campaign donation and a falsified business record, though legal scholars are unsure about whether the argument might pass muster.

Contra

Only a few dozen Trump supporters appeared outside of Manhattan Criminal Court on Monday in one of the few organized pro-Trump protests ahead of the possible indictment. Many Trump backers have expressed fears online about showing up for demonstrations due to the prosecutions of January 6 rioters and unfounded conspiracy theories suggesting organized protests are government traps.

What To Watch For

Intelligence groups monitoring online content have reportedly observed a sharp rise in calls for violence since Trump first called for protests Saturday, but police have not publicly identified any credible threats.