MANHATTAN, New York (WABC) — Former President Donald Trump was indicted Thursday by a grand jury in Lower Manhattan for hush money payments made on his behalf to porn star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign.
It appears prosecutors asked grand jurors to vote on the Trump indictment when they reconvened at 2 p.m. on Thursday.
The indictment was filed just before the court offices closed for the day. The indictment will remain sealed until Trump is arraigned on the indictment.
WATCH | Eyewitness coverage of Trump indictment
Here are the latest updates:
Trump expected to surrender in New York early next week: Sources
The former president is expected to surrender in New York early next week, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News.
While a day has not been firmed up, sources say that Tuesday is the day being discussed by Trump’s legal team and the DA’s office.
DA’s office has contacted Trump’s attorney ‘to coordinate his surrender’
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office said in a statement that it has contacted former President Donald Trump’s attorney “to coordinate his surrender” for arraignment on a state Supreme Court indictment, noting that it remains under seal.
“Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected,” the office said.
NYPD officers to deploy across city on Friday
In the wake of the indictment, all officers with the New York Police Department have been ordered to show up in uniform Friday morning for deployments around New York City, police sources told ABC News.
There are no credible threats, according to the mayor’s office.
Trump indictment marks unprecedented moment in presidential history
The indictment of Donald Trump marks an unprecedented development in the country’s history — the first time a former president has ever faced criminal charges.
Historians say that not since Richard Nixon had there been the real prospect of a commander-in-chief being formally accused of a crime, though Nixon avoided that fate after being pardoned by successor Gerald Ford.
Trump tells ABC News indictment is ‘attack on our country’
Former President Donald Trump told ABC News over the phone that the indictment is “an attack on our country.”
He called it a “political persecution,” adding, “They are trying to impact an election.”
Trump in a statement Thursday called himself a “completely innocent person” facing “an act of blatant Election Interference.”
Trump said, “Our Movement, and our Party – united and strong – will first defeat (Manhattan District Attorney) Alvin Bragg, and then we will defeat Joe Biden, and we are going to throw every last one of these Crooked Democrats out of office so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Trump’s attorneys said in a statement Thursday, “He did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in Court.”
Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., said on his podcast Thursday, “This is weaponized justice at its worst.”
WATCH | ABC News full special report on Trump indictment
In bringing the charges, the Manhattan district attorney is embracing an unusual case that had been investigated by two previous sets of prosecutors, both of which declined to take the politically explosive step of seeking Trump’s indictment.
In the weeks leading up to the indictment, Trump railed about the investigation on social media and urged supporters to protest on his behalf, prompting tighter security around the Manhattan criminal courthouse.
ABC News contributed to this report
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