Five senior officials who are familiar with the preparations say that the federal, local, and state law enforcement agencies and security agencies are ready for the possibility of former President Donald Trump being indicted as soon as next week.
According to officials, law enforcement agencies are performing preliminary security assessments and discussing security plans around the Manhattan Criminal Court at 100 Centre Street in case Trump is arrested in connection to an alleged payment of hush money to Stormy Daniels. Trump will then travel to New York to face any criminal charges.
Officials stress that interagency planning and conversations are only for precautionary purposes, as no charges have been brought.
According to officials, the agencies in question include the NYPD and New York State Court Officers as well as the U.S. Secret Service, FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
NBC News reached out to all agencies to get their comments, but none of them responded.
Trump’s ex-lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to a federal crime in 2018. It was related to a $130,000payment to Daniels, an adult movie star, in the final days of 2016. Daniels claimed that the money was meant to conceal her claim that she had slept with Trump in 2006. Trump refutes this allegation.
Cohen claimed that Trump ordered Cohen to pay the hush-money and that it was for “principal purpose” of inducing the 2016 presidential election.
Cohen received back the money he had paid Daniels via payments that were referred to by Trump’s firm as “legal fees.”
Alvin Bragg, Manhattan District Attorney is currently investigating Trump’s felony falsification business records. Cohen was present before the grand jury that heard evidence in the case for on Wednesday.
