Law enforcement agencies are developing a strategy for securing Manhattan Criminal Court in case former President Donald Trump is indicted next week, NBC News reported.
As reported by the New York Post on Friday in its account of the prepwork, local, state and federal authorities are sayijng police and security agencies are all actively at work ahead of the potential indictment, trying to anticipate high emotions and heated reactions.
Three sources told The Post earlier in the week that should an indictment be sought over alleged hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, events could unfold as soon as next week.
Such a development would, of course, be monumental: As the Post noted, possible counts out of Manhattan Criminal Court “would make Trump the first current or former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges.”
Multiple outlets have reported on hints from prosecutors that the former president is likely to face criminal charges over the Daniels payment claims. For her part, Daniels met with Manhattan prosecutors Wednesday
President Trump’s spokesman condemned the district attorney’s behavior, telling Fox News it’s a “sham” and warned it would backfire “massively.”
“President Donald J. Trump is completely innocent, he did nothing wrong, and even the biggest, most Radical Left Democrats are making that clear,” Stephen Cheung said. “From Russia, Russia, Russia, to the Mueller Hoax, to Impeachment Hoaxes 1 and 2, and even the Unlawful Mar-a-Lago Raid, Democrats have investigated and attacked President Trump since before he was elected – and they’ve failed every time.”
“Now Democrats are at it again, pushing the ‘Nuclear Button’ and attacking a President because of a disgraced extortionist,” he said. “This is happening because President Trump is leading in the polls by a large margin against both Democrats and Republicans, and there’s never been anything so blatant in American political history.”
Several sources have reportedly told NBC that interagency planning meetings are precautionary only, and should not be seen as proof that a Trump indictment is a done deal, the Post said.
The Post also listed agencies taking part in the conversations: the NYPD, New York State Court Officers, the Secret Service, the FBI and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
Any charges levied against Trump would be rooted in evidence that his onetime “fixer,” Michael Cohen, paid the adult film star hush money toward the tail end of the 2016 presidential race to hold her tongue on an alleged affair with Trump decades earlier.
Cohen has said he made a $130,000 payment on Trump’s behalf. He pleaded guilty five yearss ago to violations of deveral finance law and, according to the Post, is now a significant prosecution witness.
Trump has denied an affair with Daniels and branded the ongoing probe the latest political witch hunt against him. He is currently prepping a 2024 campaign for the White House.
