Trump indictment updates: Trump speaks out on charges from Mar-a-Lago

Donald Trump is the first former U.S. president to be indicted.

Last Updated: April 5, 2023, 3:36 PM EDT

Former President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, after being indicted by a Manhattan grand jury last week.

He is the first former U.S. president to be indicted.

For previous coverage, please click here.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news developed. All times Eastern.
Apr 04, 2023, 5:12 PM EDT

Trump's attorneys address indictment

In Trump's attorneys' first public comments following Tuesday's arraignment, Todd Blanche said "there were no surprises" in the indictment and that they "plan to fight it hard."

Trump is "upset and frustrated and disappointed and mad that this happened," Blanche told reporters outside the Manhattan courthouse.

Lawyers of former President Donald Trump, Todd Blanche and Joe Tacopina leave the Manhattan Criminal Court in New York on Apr. 4, 2023.
Andrew Caballero-reynolds/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Joe Tacopina, another Trump attorney, called the case insufficient and said the unsealing of the indictment "shows that the rule of law died in this country."

"While everyone is not above the law, no one's below it either," Tacopina said. "And if this man's name was not Donald J. Trump, there is no scenario we'd all be here today."

Apr 04, 2023, 4:47 PM EDT

Prosecution claims conflict of interest with Trump attorney

Prosecutors alleged during Tuesday's hearing that one of former President Donald Trump's attorneys, Joe Tacopina, has a conflict of interest in the case because of prior communications with Stormy Daniels.

Tacopina pushed back on that aggressively, telling Judge Juan Merchan that he "never met, never spoke" with Daniels, and said that an associate from his office did send Daniels a document and held preliminary conversations with her.

Trump said "yes," when the judge asked him if he understood he had a right to conflict-free counsel.

Judge Merchan did not make any decision on this today.

-ABC News' Olivia Rubin and Laura Romero

Apr 04, 2023, 4:24 PM EDT

Trump en route to Florida

Donald Trump's plane left New York Tuesday afternoon to head back to Florida where the former president is expected to address the public from Mar-a-Lago Tuesday night.

Apr 04, 2023, 4:22 PM EDT

Bragg: 'We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct'

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg claimed former President Donald Trump "repeatedly made false statements" on New York business records and made others do the same during a press briefing following Tuesday's arraignment.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks at a press conference, Apr. 4, 2023, in New York City.
ABC News

"These are felony crimes in New York state, no matter who you are," Bragg said. "We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct.

Bragg said the case, "like so many of our white-collar cases," alleges that "someone lied again and again to protect their interests and evade the laws to which we are all held accountable."

Bragg claimed Trump and his associates attempted to withhold negative information about him in a “catch-and-kill scheme” meant to bolster his candidacy for president.

"The evidence will show that Trump lied … to cover up crimes related to the 2016 presidential election," Bragg said.

The payments to Michael Cohen were meant to "hide damaging information from the voting public," he added.

When asked why his office was pursuing the case now, Bragg said there is more evidence in hand than his predecessor had.

Related Topics

Sponsored Content by Taboola