As a Manhattan grand jury considers indicting former President Donald Trump as soon as next week, his attorney Joe Tacopina confirmed to the New York Daily News and Insider that he would concede to authorities without complication.
Manhattan investigators have been looking into Trump for allegedly sending $130,000 worth of hush money to Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress who accused Trump of having an affair with her in 2006. Trump has repeatedly called the investigation a “witch hunt.”
Trump’s possible indictment would mark the first time a former president and a major presidential candidate faced charges. Trump announced last year he would seek re-election in 2024.
“We will follow normal procedure if it gets to that point,” Tacopina told Insider. Normal procedure for white-collar indictments means Trump would self-surrender to the district attorney’s headquarters in Lower Manhattan at a set date and time, without handcuffs, Insider previously reported.
“There won’t be a standoff at Mar-a-Lago with Secret Service and the Manhattan DA’s office,” Tacopina told the Daily News.
Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, has pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance laws due to his involvement in the payment. Cohen spent a year behind bars before being released to spend the remainder of his three-year sentence from home due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Unsealed court documents during Cohen’s investigation of this matter show that Trump was aware of and involved with the payout to Daniels and another woman.
Trump is facing numerous legal troubles for various allegations — including his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection and illegally holding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
Tacopina’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.