Former President Donald Trump Arrested on Felony Charges in New York

Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, was arrested on April 4, 2023, and charged with almost three dozen felony counts of falsifying business records related to 2016 hush money payments. This marks the first time in U.S. history that a former president surrendered to law enforcement and was arrested.

According to sources, Trump was indicted by a grand jury in Manhattan on March 25, 2023, on charges of scheme to defraud, falsifying business records, and violation of election law. The charges are related to hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, two women who claimed to have had affairs with Trump before the 2016 presidential election. Trump allegedly directed his former attorney, Michael Cohen, to make the payments to keep the affairs quiet.

Trump's arrest comes after a lengthy investigation by Manhattan prosecutors, who have been examining the hush money payments for years. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has called the investigation a "witch hunt."

At his arraignment on April 4, 2023, Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was released on bail, but his passport was confiscated and he was ordered to surrender his firearms. The judge also imposed a travel ban, limiting Trump's movements to the New York tri-state area.

The charges against Trump could carry a prison sentence of up to 15 years. Legal experts say that the case against Trump is strong, and that the evidence against him is compelling.

The arrest of a former president is a rare event in U.S. history. The only other former president to be arrested was Ulysses S. Grant's son, who was arrested for speeding in 1894.

Sources:

• USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/04/04/trump-arrested-arraigned-takeaways/11594611002/

• NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/live-blog/trump-indictment-live-updates-former-presidents-arraignment-expected-t-rcna77705

• BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-us-canada-65167017