Trump Could Be Indicted As Early As Next Week, Report Says

Topline

Former President Donald Trump could become the first ex-president to be indicted as soon as next week, NBC reported Friday, citing law enforcement officials who are taking security precautions at the Manhattan Criminal Court ahead of the potential bombshell announcement.

Former President Donald Trump boards his airplane, known as Trump Force One, in route to Iowa at … [+] Palm Beach International Airport on Monday, March 13, 2023. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The Washington Post via Getty Images

Key Facts

The New York Police Department, New York State Court Officers, the U.S. Secret Service and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force are coordinating to prepare for additional security at the criminal court in downtown Manhattan, according to NBC—the latest sign that Manhattan prosecutors are readying an indictment.

The Manhattan grand jury weighing the evidence against Trump requested his testimony last week, an invitation he denied but one that signaled a forthcoming indictment.

Trump could be charged with violating campaign finance laws in arranging payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about their alleged 2006 affair, since the deal was made weeks before the 2016 presidential election.

He could also be hit with a charge for falsifying business records, after federal prosecutors found that the Trump Organization reimbursed his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen for the payments as services falsely specified as legal fees.

Key Background

Cohen implicated Trump when hein pleadeding guilty in 2018 to five federal counts related to the scheme, telling the court that he executed the deal at Trump’s direction. Cohen testified twice before the Manhattan grand jury this week and met 20 times with prosecutors conducting the investigation into Trump. Daniels also met with the jury this week.

Chief Critic

Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels and his lawyers have accused her of extorting him for the $130,000 Cohen paid her.

What To Watch For

Prosecutors have some legal hurdles to overcome in order to land a felony conviction against Trump. Falsifying business records is a misdemeanor crime in New York and in order to elevate the charge to a felony, prosecutors must tie it to a second crime. Cohen’s credibility issues are also weighing on the case. Trump’s lawyers have highlighted Cohen’s own felony record, along with his admission of lying to Congress in its investigation into Trump’s failed deal to open a hotel in Moscow, in contesting his ability to serve as a witness.

Tangent

Trump faces probes by at least three other law enforcement agencies into his business practices and his conduct after losing the 2020 election to President Joe Biden. The Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney’s office is investigating his role in efforts to overturn Biden’s 2020 win in the state. The Justice Department is also conducting two separate investigations into Trump regarding his handling of classified documents he took to Mar-A-Lago after leaving office and his role in the January 6 Captiol riots. And the New York Attorney general’s office has an ongoing civil suit against the Trump Organization that alleges he and his children inflated the value of his assets to secure more favorable loans.