This past week, the former President Donald Trump claimed that he would be arrested by New York City authorities on Tuesday. A New York Grand Jury, in conjunction with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, has been investigating alleged tax fraud and financial crimes in the hush money case between Trump and adult actresses Stormy Daniels.
The investigation focuses on the 2016 deal made by former Trump attorney Michael Cohen and Daniels, where Daniels received $130,000 in exchange for her not to speak with reporters concerning a supposed extramarital affair between the two.
Trump was invited earlier this month to speak before the jury, but he has so far not taken up the offer. Speaking to the LA Times at the time, Trump attorney Joseph Tacopina said “he didn’t think prosecutors had committed one way or another” on whether or not to charge Trump with a crime.
According to NPR, “the Manhattan DA’s Office has summoned witnesses to testify about the hush money payments before a newly empanelled grand jury.” It is expected Trump could face a charge of falsifying business records, which ranks as the lowest level felony in New York.
Notably, the NYPD has been seen establishing steel barricades outside Manhattan’s courthouse. The motive behind the measure remains unclear given Trump’s call to his supporters to protest should he be arrested.
Should he be indicted, Donald Trump would be the first former United States President to be indicted for a crime, however, he would not be the first President to be arrested.
In 1872, President Ulysses Grant was arrested in DC for speeding in his horse drawn carriage.
Since his entrance into politics, a focus has come to light concerning Trump’s past, with numerous investigations opened against him.
Recently, details of a Georgia Grand Jury investigating alleged election fraud in the state was released. The body found Trump’s claims of election fraud to be unfounded, however, it is unclear whether or not Trump will be indicted over his phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, where Trump pressured him to “find votes” for him to win the crucial state.