Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, a historic move after years of investigations into his personal, political and business dealings.
The exact nature of the charges was unclear Friday because the indictment remained unsealed, but they stem from payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to hush up allegations of an extramarital affair. Prosecutors said they were working to coordinate Trump's extradition, which could happen as early as next week. They did not say whether they intended to seek prison time if convicted, the AP reported.
The indictment, the first against a former US president, opens criminal proceedings in a city the former president called home for decades.
Trump, who has denied wrongdoing and repeatedly attacked the investigation, called the indictment "political persecution" and predicted it would hurt Democrats in 2024. In a statement confirming the charges, defense attorneys Susan Necheles and Joseph Tacopina said Trump "has not committed a crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in court."
A spokesman for the Manhattan district attorney's office confirmed the indictment and said prosecutors had contacted Trump's defense team to coordinate a surrender. Tacopina said Trump is "likely" to surrender on Tuesday.
The case centers on chronic allegations from a period in 2016 when Trump's famous past collided with his political ambitions. Prosecutors spent months looking into payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who he feared would go public with allegations they had extramarital sex with him.
