Trump indictment: Trump faces some 2 dozen counts, including felonies, sources say
Trump has become the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges.
Donald Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury on Thursday, becoming the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges.
It was not immediately clear what the indictment was connected to, or what charges Trump will face. The indictment is under seal.
Trump is expected to surrender in New York City early this week, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
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- Trump faces around 2 dozen counts, including felonies, sources say
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- Trump has 'never been held accountable,' Cohen says
- Trump expected to surrender in New York early next week: Sources
McCarthy grows frustrated as Trump questions persist at House GOP retreat
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy again ripped into Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg when asked about the potential charges against former President Donald Trump at a Tuesday press conference at the House GOP retreat in Orlando.
When McCarthy was asked directly if had concerns about Trump's alleged conduct regarding the alleged hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, he didn't answer the question and instead pivoted to talking about Hillary Clinton and Bragg.
"What we see before us is a political game being played by a local. Look, this isn't New York City, this is just a Manhattan," McCarthy said.
McCarthy said he hasn’t spoken to Trump in three weeks.
When asked if Trump is still the leader of the Republican Party, McCarthy took a jab at the press: "In the press room, for all of you, he is."
-ABC News' Katherine Faulders and Will Steakin
Grand jury to reconvene on Wednesday
A grand jury will reconvene on Wednesday to continue to weigh charges against former President Donald Trump in connection with the Manhattan district attorney's probe into the 2016 hush payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal attorney, paid $130,000 to Daniels in the closing days of the 2016 presidential campaign to allegedly keep her from talking about an affair she claimed to have had with Trump.
Trump has denied the affair and his attorneys have framed the funds as an extortion payment.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is mulling whether to charge Trump with falsifying business records, after the Trump Organization allegedly reimbursed Cohen for the payment then logged the reimbursement as a legal expense, sources have told ABC News. Trump has called the payment "a private contract between two parties" and has denied all wrongdoing.
Trump this weekend wrote on his Truth Social platform that he expected to be arrested on Tuesday.
The U.S. Secret Service is coordinating security plans with the NYPD in the event of an indictment and arraignment in an open courtroom in Manhattan, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. The two agencies had a call Monday to discuss logistics, including court security and how Trump would potentially surrender for booking and processing, according to sources briefed on the discussions. White collar criminal defendants in New York are typically allowed to negotiate a surrender.
Trump has 'never been held accountable,' Cohen says
Donald Trump's former personal attorney and fixer Michael Cohen said the ex-president is likely "seething" over the indictment because he's "never been held accountable."
"The fact that he is being held accountable, something that he has no desire to ever be. He's never been held accountable," Cohen told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos in an interview Friday on "Good Morning America."
"This is a man who held up the Bible and said he's never apologized to God because he's never done anything wrong," he added. "He doesn't understand accountability. And right now, [Manhattan District Attorney] Alvin Bragg has finally put that into his lap."
Cohen, who is now estranged from Trump and is a key prosecution witness, said he decided years ago that his "loyalty can no longer be to a man who doesn't deserve it."
Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison in December 2018, after pleading guilty to violating federal campaign finance law in connection with hush-money payments and lying to Congress, among other crimes.
During Friday's interview on "GMA," Cohen said he followed Trump's "message" for more than a decade and "that is what got me in trouble."
When asked if he feels ready to be cross-examined, Cohen replied: "Absolutely."
"The documents will speak for themselves," he added, referring to the sealed indictment.
"So, not just your testimony?" Stephanopoulos responded.
"No," Cohen said. "And it's also corroborating testimony, but it's documents."