Joe Tacopina, a lawyer representing former President Donald Trump, stated that his team would follow standard procedures if the situation escalated.
In an interview with The New York Daily News on Friday, Tacopina confirmed that there would be no standoff at Mar-a-Lago between the Secret Service and the Manhattan DA’s office. It remains unclear whether Trump, who has famously denied his 2020 election loss, would contest coming to Manhattan to face charges.
However, legal experts believe that fighting extradition from Florida would not be in Trump’s best interest. Defendants in white-collar cases are typically allowed to self-surrender to authorities at the Manhattan DA’s downtown headquarters, where fingerprints and mugshots are taken.
The former president will likely be accompanied by Secret Service agents during the booking process and court appearances. The DA’s office has been investigating a $130,000 hush-money payment made by Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the final days of the 2016 election.
Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to five felonies, including tax evasion, bank fraud, and campaign finance violations, after the Manhattan US attorney’s office initiated a criminal investigation.
Cohen has been a crucial witness in the DA’s investigation and has testified before a grand jury twice this week. Tacopina stated that, as of Friday afternoon, the defense had not received any indication of an indictment being voted on and filed.
