Former U.S. President Donald Trump gestures during an event at a fireplace station following the recent derailment of a train carrying hazardous waste, in East Palestine, Ohio, February 22, 2023.
Alan Freed | Reuters
Former President Donald Trump will give up to face criminal charges if indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, his lawyer said Friday evening.
The lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, spoke on the heels of a report by WNBC that federal, state and native law enforcement agencies are preparing security arrangements for the likelihood that Trump will probably be indicted as early as next week.
“Will follow normal procedures if it gets to that time,” Tacopina told CNBC when asked what Trump would do if that possibility becomes reality.
Trump is under investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for his company recording as legal expenses a reimbursement to his former personal attorney Michael Cohen for $130,000 he gave porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to maintain her quiet about an alleged sexual tryst with Trump.
Trump denies having sex with Daniels, and has condemned the probe and other criminal investigations he faces as partisan witch hunts.
On this March 17, 2011 file photo, attorney Joseph Tacopina speaks to the media outside Superior Court in Recent Haven, Conn.
Jessica Hill | AP
Ever for the reason that grand jury was empaneled in recent months, and the perceived likelihood of an indictment grew, questions have been raised about whether Trump would resist surrendering if charged, and what would occur if he did so.
Trump, who has 24-hour protection by the U.S. Secret Service, currently resides at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, which he rarely leaves.
Under Florida law, the state’s governor is accountable for ensuring an individual within the state is arrested and delivered to a different state if that person is indicted on a felony charge.
Nonetheless, Florida law also gives the governor the facility to call for an extra investigation before a defendant is extradited if that defendant refuses to comply with extradition.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis currently is positioning himself as a possible contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
Trump declared himself as a candidate for the GOP nomination last fall.
Even before that Trump and his allies have chafed at DeSantis’ popularity amongst fellow Republicans.
Cohen, who met 20 times with investigators over several years, testified for 2 days earlier this week to the grand jury. Daniels spoke to prosecutors via Zoom on Wednesday.
Cohen previously pleaded guilty to a federal criminal campaign charge related to creating the payment to Daniels, which he has said Trump directed him to do to avoid harming his probabilities of winning the White House in 2016.
That crime is the hinge of what could possibly be the prosecution of Trump in state Criminal Court in Manhattan.
Firms are barred by Recent York state law from misclassifying the character of expenses, akin to, theoretically, calling the reimbursement to Cohen for the Daniels payment “legal expenses.”
Violating that law may end up in a misdemeanor charge. But that may be raised to a felony if the misstatement is completed to cover up one other crime.
