Prosecutors Asked For Friday Surrender—But Trump Team Rejected Plan, Report Says

Topline

The Manhattan district attorney’s office asked former President Donald Trump’s legal team to arrange for him to surrender Friday—one day after a grand jury voted to indict him—but Trump’s lawyers rejected the plan due to security concerns, a Trump attorney reportedly said, as New York police ramp up precautions ahead of the unprecedented arrest of a former president.

Former President Donald Trump leaves Trump Tower to meet with New York Attorney General Letitia … [+] James for a civil investigation on August 10, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by James Devaney/GC Images)

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Key Facts

Trump’s team rejected the plan for a Friday surrender because it wants more time for the Secret Service to prepare, according to Politico, citing Trump attorney Joe Tacopina and a law enforcement source.

Tacopina told CNN he expects Trump to turn himself in for an arraignment early next week, though an exact date has not been set.

A New York Police Department spokesman told Forbes all NYPD personnel have been told to report to work in uniform tomorrow and prepare for a possible mobilization, though he added police have identified “no credible threats” at this time.

Tacopina did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Forbes.

Key Background

Trump called for supporters to protest earlier this month as a Manhattan grand jury wrapped up a years-long investigation into Trump, though demonstrations in New York City and other locations around the country were small and largely uneventful. Trump’s rhetoric turned more inflammatory last week, warning of “death & destruction” if he is charged and posting an image of himself wielding a baseball bat next to a photo of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to his Truth Social app. The 23-member grand jury voted to charge Trump on Thursday but the indictment remains under seal for now, leaving it unclear how severe his charges are. Bragg’s investigation centered around a $130,000 alleged hush money payment former Trump fixer Michael Cohen paid porn star Stormy Daniels in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign to keep her from publicly discussing an affair she claimed to have had with Trump years earlier—which he has denied. Legal experts say prosecutors might argue reimbursement payments to Cohen for so-called legal services were a misdemeanor violation of falsifying business expenses, but they speculate Trump could also be charged with a felony under a largely untested legal theory identifying the payment to Daniels as an illegal campaign donation.

What To Watch For

Trump will briefly be under arrest after he surrenders himself, and authorities will likely fingerprint him and take a mugshot at the DA’s office before entering a plea at an arraignment. He will then be released from custody.

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Key Facts

Key Background

What To Watch For

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