NY Crafting Security Plan As Trump Indictment Looms

New York law enforcement is making security preparations in case defeated former President Donald Trump is indicted in the coming weeks and must appear in a Manhattan courtroom, four law enforcement officials said, Colleen Long and Jennifer Peltz reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Photo Insert: The grand jury has been hearing from witnesses including former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who says he orchestrated payments in 2016 to two women to silence them about sexual encounters they said they had with Trump a decade earlier.

There has been no public announcement of any time frame for the grand jury’s secret work, including any potential vote on whether to indict the ex-president. The officials spoke to AP on condition of anonymity and said authorities are just preparing in case of an indictment.

They described the conversations as preliminary and are considering security, planning and the practicalities of a potential court appearance by a former president, Michael R. Sisak also reported for AP.

Trump’s lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, told AP that if Trump were indicted, “we will follow the normal procedures.”

The grand jury has been hearing from witnesses including former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who says he orchestrated payments in 2016 to two women to silence them about sexual encounters they said they had with Trump a decade earlier.

Trump denies the encounters occurred, says he did nothing wrong and has cast the investigation as a “witch hunt” by a Democratic prosecutor bent on sabotaging the Republican’s 2024 presidential campaign. The women said Trump is a congenital liar.

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