Former US President, Donald Trump has been arrested after surrendering himself to the police on arriving at the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports former President Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Trump is not expected to be handcuffed following his arrest, as he will remain under constant law enforcement protection.
Trump was indicted on criminal charges in New York for his role in organising hush money payments made to an adult film star during his 2016 campaign.
“Not guilty,” Trump said when asked how he pleaded in court today.
The history-making indictment by the Manhattan grand jury on Thursday marks the first time a president has been charged in a criminal matter.
The event marks the first time in U.S. history a current or former president has ever been charged with a crime.
Taken together, the charges against Trump carry a maximum sentence of 136 years in prison under New York law but an actual prison sentence if he is convicted would almost certainly be far less than that.
Trump, a 76-year-old, served as U.S. President from 2017 to 2021. Last November, he announced a bid to regain the presidency in 2024 for a second term in the White House.