A spokesperson for leftist Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg affirmed on Thursday that the office has contacted former President Donald Trump’s lawyer to “coordinate his surrender” and arraignment.
The statement posted to Bragg’s Twitter account essentially affirmed the New York Times’ report, which revealed that the New York grand jury voted to indict the former president as part of the case involving alleged “hush money” paid to a porn star.
“This evening we contacted Mr. Trump’s attorney to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan D.A.’s Office of arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal. Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected,” the statement read:
— Alvin Bragg (@ManhattanDA) March 30, 2023
Trump released a statement on the situation Thursday evening.
“The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to ‘Get Trump,’ but now they’ve done the unthinkable – indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference,” he said in part.
“Never before in our Nation’s history has this been done. The Democrats have cheated countless times over the decades, including spying on my campaign, but weaponizing our justice system to punish a political opponent, who just so happens to be a President of the United States and by far the leading Republican candidate for President, has never happened before,” Trump continued, noting that Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg was “hand-picked and funded by George Soros” and is a “disgrace.”
“Rather than stopping the unprecedented crime wave taking over New York City, he’s doing Joe Biden’s dirty work, ignoring the murders and burglaries and assaults he should be focused on. This is how Bragg spends his time!” Trump exclaimed as high-profile Republicans — including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) — signaled strong support for the former president across social media.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) also responded to the news, and while he did not mention Trump by name, he made it clear that “Florida will not assist in an extradition request given the questionable circumstances at issue with this Soros-backed Manhattan prosecutor and his political agenda”:
The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head.
It is un-American.
The Soros-backed Manhattan District Attorney has consistently bent the law to downgrade felonies and to excuse criminal misconduct. Yet, now he is…
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 30, 2023
RELATED: Trump Lawyer Tacopina: Indictment Would Be ‘Weaponizing the Justice System’ to Take Vote Out of the Voters Hands
This story is developing.
