Trump Faces 34 Felony Counts For Falsifying Records, Report Says

Topline

Former President Donald Trump will be charged with 34 felony counts for falsifying business records, according to Yahoo News, as Trump—whose legal team claims they had not been briefed on the charges—is set to be arraigned Tuesday in New York in connection to “hush money” payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

Trump faces 34 felony counts for falsifying business records, according to a report

Associated Press

Key Facts

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office will charge Trump with 34 felony counts for falsifying business records, a source briefed on Trump’s arraignment told Yahoo, as a conviction that can result in up to four years in prison—though it is unlikely Trump will face prison time as a first-time offender.

A spokesperson for Trump indicated his legal team had not seen the indictment or been briefed on its details.

It is also unclear why the charges—typically prosecuted in New York as a misdemeanor—have been elevated to felonies, though an unnamed source told Yahoo that it was because “the conduct was intended to conceal another underlying crime”—likely campaign finance violations.

Attorney Alina Habba claimed in an interview with CNN that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg had leaked the information about Trump’s charges.

Trump agreed with Habba in a Truth Social post that Bragg had “illegally LEAKED” information on the “pathetic indictment against me” while calling for Bragg to be “IMMEDIATELY INDICTED.”

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Forbes.

Crucial Quote

In a separate Truth Social post, Trump again suggested Bragg had “ILLEGALLY LEAKED” the charges and called for Bragg to resign “NOW!”

What To Watch For

A document outlining Trump’s indictment will be unsealed during his arraignment, which is set to begin at 2:15 p.m. Tuesday.

Surprising Fact

Trump will not be handcuffed, despite reports suggesting he had expressed interest in making his arrest a “spectacle.” A mugshot is also unlikely, according to CNN, as there are concerns about photos being leaked. Trump will also not be placed in a jail cell because bail rules in New York allow those charged with non-violent felonies to be released on their recognizance. His arraignment Tuesday will not be broadcast live, as a judge ruled no news cameras or other electronics like cell phones or laptops would be allowed in the courtroom.

Key Background

An investigation into the alleged hush money payments to Daniels began in 2019, though it then expanded into a broader inquiry into the Trump Organization’s finances. The probe centers on a $130,000 payment his former fixer Michael Cohen made to Daniels in the final days of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign in an effort to allegedly keep her from going public with an affair she says she had with Trump nearly a decade earlier. It was speculated that Trump would be indicted in the probe last month, including a claim by the former president that he was going to be arrested on March 21. Trump has denied the claims and said his indictment was a “Witch-Hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement.”