Donald Trump reacted angrily Monday night to details of his indictment leaked to a journalist, demanding that the Manhattan district attorney resign as a result of the report.
Michael Isikoff, a reporter at Yahoo News, said he was told there would be 34 crimes. He also described in moderate detail the charges – which will be officially unsealed on Tuesday.
Trump, who is sitting in Trump Tower ahead of Tuesday’s arraignment, exploded with anger at Isikoff’s report and said Bragg should be prosecuted.
‘Wow! District Attorney Bragg has just illegally leaked the various points and full details of the pathetic charge against me,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“I know the reporter and unfortunately he does too.
“This means that he MUST BE REPORTED IMMEDIATELY. Now if he really wants to clean up his reputation, he will do the honorable thing and, as a prosecutor, REVOKE HIMSELF.
“He will go down in judicial history, and his wife who hates Trump will, I’m sure, be very proud of him!”
Former President Donald Trump is seen at Trump Tower on Monday afternoon. He flew to New York on Monday aboard his 757, accompanied by several aides, but not former first lady Melania Trump
A number of aides accompanied the former president to New York on Monday, but Melania and Barron Trump were missing from the crowd
Trump then continued to attack Bragg, demanding that he resign.
“DA BRAGG ONLY LEAKED THE 33 counts of indictment ILLEGALLY,” the 76-year-old said.
“There are no changes or surprises from what he leaked directly from the Grand Jury days ago.
No crime by Trump.
‘What a mess. Bragg should resign, NOW!’
The indictment was filed on Thursday and its broad outlines were widely reported.
It was also widely expected that Trump would not be handcuffed and not have a mugshot taken, for fear that it would be publicised. New York, unlike many other states, does not publicly disclose mugshots.
Isikoff, a veteran reporter, was previously the national investigative correspondent for NBC News. Prior to that, he was known for his work at Newsweek, particularly during the War on Terror.
He had the scoop on Monica Lewinsky’s affair with Bill Clinton, but the Newsweek editors refused to go any further, so it was included in the Drudge Report the next day.
Isikoff, in his Monday night report on the Trump case, said there would be 34 charges.
He said it would all be felonies for falsifying business records.
Isikoff quoted “a source who has been briefed on the procedures for the former president’s arraignment.”
It is unusual for falsification of company records to be prosecuted as a crime: this is normally considered a misdemeanor.
Bragg’s office filed all charges as Class E felonies — the lowest level of misdemeanor in the New York State Penal Code — on the grounds that the conduct was intended to cover up another underlying felony, said Isikoff’s source.
A conviction for the class E felony of falsifying company records could result in a prison sentence of up to four years, but that is considered unlikely.
It remains unclear what the underlying crime is that escalated Trump’s alleged crimes into felonies.
The charges will be officially unsealed on Tuesday, the website reported.
It is believed to be related to campaign finance violations related to the $130,000 hush money payment given to porn star Stormy Daniels leading up to the 2016 election.
New York is bracing for possible protests.
Police began building barricades over the weekend along the sidewalks around Trump Tower and the Manhattan Criminal Court building in downtown.
On Monday, his Florida motorcade stopped at his jet and the former president boarded alone, before campaign officials and lawyers followed him up the back stairs.
Trump will arrive at Palm Beach International Airport Monday afternoon to board his plane for a flight to New York. He is expected to report to authorities on Tuesday
Trump landed in New York Monday afternoon before his motorcade made the journey to his property in the heart of the Big Apple
Trump’s private jet rests on the tarmac of LaGuardia Airport with Rikers Island Prison in the background
Crowds gathered in front of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue on Monday
The 45th president walks into his Manhattan property on Monday afternoon as he prepares to surrender to authorities on Tuesday
After he left office, his presidential motorcade was reduced to about four vehicles. But on Monday, it was crammed with additional SUVs with staff.
His campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, as well as senior adviser Jason Miller and spokesperson Steven Cheung traveled with him, along with his son Eric.
His lawyers have said he will plead not guilty and his legal team is preparing to add a constitutional expert amid fears the judge will issue a gag order in the case.
On Monday, his legal team also made a plea to the judge to ban cameras from the courtroom and hired defense attorney Todd Blanche to bolster their defense.
“I am leaving Mar-a-Lago at noon on Monday, bound for Trump Tower in New York,” the former president wrote Sunday night.
“On Tuesday morning, believe it or not, I’m going to court. America shouldn’t have been like that!’
Court officials say he will be arraigned on Tuesday at 2:15 p.m.
Afterward, he is expected to return to his home in Mar-a-Lago where he plans to give a speech in the evening.