By Josephine Stratman and Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News
Donald Trump arrived at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office to surrender at about 1:20 p.m. EST Tuesday as he becomes the first former president in the history of the United States to face criminal charges.
About an hour later he entered the courtroom at Manhattan Suprme Court where he is now facing arraignment.
“Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse,” Trump posted on Truth Social as he prepared to turn himself in. “Seems so SURREAL — WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!”
The exact charges against Trump will be unsealed at Trump’s expected arraignment at 2:15 p.m. EST, though they are expected to deal with how Trump handled, and accounted for, hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election, among other items.
Various reports have put the number of charges at upwards of two dozen, with at least one felony in the mix. The Associated Press reported late Friday that Trump faces a number of charges involving falsifying business records.
Trump’s legal team has already said he plans to plead not guilty to the charges. The former president is scheduled to be arraigned before State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan at 2:15 p.m., where he and the world will find out the exact charges against him.
A Manhattan grand jury chose to indict Trump, 76, March 30, making him the first former or sitting U.S. president in history to face criminal charges, a remarkable development as he seeks the Republican nomination for the third time.
The charges stem from a nearly five-year-long investigation conducted by the Manhattan district attorney that twice impaneled grand juries without asking them to vote, twice made it to the U.S. Supreme Court as the DA successfully sought Trump’s taxes, and spun off two criminal cases against the Trump Organization and its finance chief Allen Weisselberg.
After the probe was thought to be fizzling without an indictment against Trump, Bragg revived speculation that a criminal indictment was possible upon impaneling a new grand jury in January.
The panel heard from Trump’s former fixer, Michael Cohen, who went to federal prison for issuing a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election, the former CEO of American Media Inc., David Pecker, who helped broker the payment to Daniels and made another to Playboy model Karen McDougal, and several more past and present Trump associates.
Outside the court, dueling protests are in full swing with pro-Trump protesters out numbering Trumpers, with a rally hosted by U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene getting underway shortly. The two sides were lined up across from each other, blocked by barricades.
MORE ON TRUMP’S HISTORIC ARRAIGNMENT:
Live updates: Trump faces historic arraignment in Manhattan
What time is Trump’s arraignment?
Trump arraignment draws clashing protesters to Manhattan courthouse
Photos: Protesters gather outside of Trump Tower after historic indictment
Trump calls for his criminal case to be moved from Manhattan to Staten Island: ‘VERY UNFAIR!’
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