Cohen on Trump indictment: "This is a long time coming"
Michael Cohen said he was surprised the indictment against former President Donald Trump came today, but "this is a long time coming."
In response to a Trump campaign email saying Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is depending on the testimony of a "convicted felon and disbarred lawyer," the one-time Trump fixer said: "There’s plenty of corroborating testimony to go around."
"So clearly, that means that the information provided was more than enough for the grand jury to come back with the determination for an indictment," Cohen told CNN on Thursday night.
"Oh by the way for Donald, since we're talking about convicted felons, see on Tuesday, pal," Cohen added, referring to the day on which the former president is expected to be arraigned in New York.
What to know about the NY hush money probe, Trump's indictment and what is expected to happen next
From CNN's Kara Scannell and Devan Cole
A yearslong probe into a hush money scheme involving former President Donald Trump and adult film star Stormy Daniels has led to him being indicted by a Manhattan grand jury for his alleged role in the scheme.
The indictment is historic, marking the first time a former US president and major presidential candidate has ever been criminally charged.
Here’s what to know about the hush money investigation:
What happens next: A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg released a statement Thursday saying the office has contacted Trump's attorney to "coordinate his surrender" for arraignment on "a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal."
"Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected," it added. Trump is expected to appear in court Tuesday for his arraignment, multiple sources tell CNN. Judge Juan Merchan is expected to preside, one source said.
How we got here: The Manhattan DA’s investigation first began under Bragg’s predecessor, Cy Vance, when Trump was still in the White House. It relates to a $130,000 payment made by Trump’s then-personal attorney Michael Cohen to Daniels in late October 2016, days before the 2016 presidential election, to silence her from going public about an alleged affair with Trump a decade earlier. Trump has denied the affair.
At issue in the investigation is the payment made to Daniels and the Trump Organization’s reimbursement to Cohen.
According to court filings in Cohen’s own federal prosecution, Trump Org. executives authorized payments to him totaling $420,000 to cover his original $130,000 payment and tax liabilities and reward him with a bonus.
The Manhattan DA’s investigation has hung over Trump since his presidency and is just one of several probes the former president is facing as he makes his third bid for the White House.
A rare case: The grand jury’s decision marks a rare moment in history: Trump is the first former US president ever indicted and also the first major presidential candidate under indictment seeking office. The former president has said he “wouldn’t even think about leaving” the 2024 race if charged.
The decision to bring charges is not without risk nor does it guarantee a conviction. Trump’s lawyers could challenge whether campaign finance laws would apply as a crime to make the case a felony, for instance.
Cohen’s role: Cohen, Trump’s onetime fixer, played a central role in the hush money episode and is involved in the investigation.
He admitted to paying $130,000 to Daniels to stop her from going public about the alleged affair with Trump just before the 2016 election. He also helped arrange a $150,000 payment from the publisher of the National Enquirer to Karen McDougal to kill her story claiming a 10-month affair with Trump. Trump also denies an affair with McDougal.
Cohen, who was sentenced to three years in jail, met with the Manhattan district attorney’s office earlier this month and praised Bragg for offering Trump the opportunity to testify.
What Daniels has said: For her part, Daniels, also known as Stephanie Clifford, met in March with prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office probing the payment, according to a tweet sent by her attorney, who said Daniels had “responded to questions and has agreed to make herself available as a witness, or for further inquiry if needed.”
She wrote a tell-all book in 2018 that described the alleged affair in graphic detail, with her then-attorney saying that the book was intended to prove her story about having sex with Trump is true.
Read more about the investigation here.
Crowd shows support for Trump near Mar-a-Lago following indictment
From CNN's Leyla Santiago
Police are outside the front gate of Mar-a-Lago a few hours after former President Donald Trump was indicted by a New York grand jury.
Meanwhile, on the nearby bridge, a few dozen people are showing support for the former president, waving Trump and MAGA flags. The crowd is also playing the song “God Bless the USA.”
CNN saw a much larger presence of supporters in August after the search warrant was executed.
Pence says Trump and Cohen's charges are different
When asked by CNN's Wolf Blitzer whether Michael Cohen's payments to silence women who claimed affairs with Donald Trump were a crime, former Vice President Mike Pence said the self-described fixer went to jail for "lying to Congress."
"Well, I can see the lying to congress is a crime, which was — if memory serves — what Michael Cohen went to jail for the most part," Pence said.
Some background: Cohen pleaded guilty to nine federal crimes including tax fraud, lying to Congress and campaign finance violations for helping pay off two women who threatened to go public with past alleged affairs with Trump just before the 2016 election. Trump has denied the affairs.
Trump was indicted Thursday on more than 30 counts related to business fraud.
The Manhattan district attorney's office has been investigating the former president in connection with his alleged role in the hush money payment scheme.
"This decision today is a great disservice to the country," Pence says
Former Vice President Mike Pence said that while "no one is above the law, including former presidents," that he cannot "speak to the merit of this case at all."
Pence says Trump's indictment has "no bearing" on consideration of launching presidential campaign
Former Vice President Mike Pence said the New York grand jury's decision to indict Donald Trump has “no bearing on our decision" to launch his own presidential campaign in 2024.
He said for his family it comes down “to our sense of calling" and that he intends to continue to travel around the country and listen to Americans.
Pence said while considering the decision to launch a presidential run, he is reflecting on his political experience as governor of Indiana, serving in Congress and as the vice president.
Pence: Indictment of Trump "is an outrage"
Former Vice President Mike Pence called the grand jury indictment of Donald Trump an "outrage."
"I think the unprecedented indictment of a former president of the United States on a campaign finance issue is an outrage," he said Thursday night, speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer during a CNN Primetime interview.
He said the indictment appears “for millions of Americans to be nothing more than a political prosecution."
Pence said charging the former president is a "disservice to the country" that will only divide people further.
"I think the American people will look at this and see it as one more example of the criminalization of politics in this country," he said.
Stormy Daniels' wasn't surprised and is relieved about Trump indictment, attorney says
Clark Brewster, the attorney of adult film star Stormy Daniels, said he was the one to share the news of Thursday's indictment with his client.
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer releases statement on Trump indictment
From CNN's Samantha Beech
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer released the following statement after the announcement of Donald Trump's indictment: