A Manhattan grand jury indicted Donald Trump on more than 30 counts of business fraud.

Donald Trump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud in an indictment from a Manhattan grand jury, the first time in American history that a current or former president has faced criminal charges. The indictment has been filed under seal and will be announced in the coming days. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has been investigating the former president in connection with his alleged role in a hush money payment scheme and cover-up involving adult film star Stormy Daniels that dates to the 2016 presidential election. Trump released a statement in response to the indictment claiming it was "Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history." Trump was caught off guard by the grand jury's decision to indict him, according to a person who spoke directly with him. The decision is sure to send shockwaves across the country, pushing the American political system into uncharted waters. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has announced that Donald Trump will surrender to the office for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal. The legal action against Trump jolts the 2024 presidential campaign into a new phase, as the former president has vowed to keep running in the face of criminal charges. Trump has long avoided legal consequences in his personal, professional and political lives, having settled a number of private civil lawsuits and paid his way out of disputes concerning the Trump Organization, his namesake company. As the indictment neared, Trump urged his supporters to protest his arrest, echoing his calls to action following the 2020 election as he tried to overturn his loss to President Joe Biden. Trump's Republican allies have condemned the Manhattan district attorney's office over the looming indictment, with former Vice President Mike Pence accusing the district attorney of a political witch hunt. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has vowed to launch an investigation into the matter, and congressional Republicans quickly rallied to Trump's defense. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, called the indictment "completely unprecedented" and said it is a "catastrophic escalation in the weaponization of the justice system." However, moderate Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska said he trusted the legal system and believed justice would be done. The investigation relates to a $130,000 payment made by Trump's then-personal attorney Michael Cohen to Daniels in late October 2016, days before the 2016 presidential election, to silence her from going public about an alleged affair with Trump a decade earlier. Trump has denied the affair. Trump Organization executives authorized payments to Cohen totaling $420,000 to cover his original payment and tax liabilities and reward him with a bonus. The Trump Organization noted the reimbursements as a legal expense in its internal books.