Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement Brace for Possibility of Impeachment of Former President Donald Trump as soon as next weekaccording to five senior officials familiar with the preparations.
Law enforcement agencies are conducting preliminary security assessments, officials said, and are discussing possible security plans at and around the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse, at 100 Center Street, in the event Trump is indicted in connection with an alleged secret money payment to Stormy Daniels and travel. to New York to face any charges.
Officials stress that interagency talks and planning are precautionary in nature because no charges have been filed.
Agencies involved include the NYPD, New York State court officials, the US Secret Service, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the officials said.
NBC News has reached out to all of those agencies for comment, and all have declined to comment.
Michael Cohen, a former Trump attorney, pleaded guilty in 2018 to a federal charge related to a $130,000 payment to Daniels, an adult film star, in the final days of the 2016 campaign. Daniels has said the money was to keep her quiet about her claim that she had slept with a married Trump in 2006, an allegation Trump denies.
Cohen has said Trump ordered him to pay hush money and that it was for the «primary purpose of influencing» the 2016 presidential election.
Cohen was later reimbursed for the money he had paid Daniels through payments that Trump’s company listed as «legal fees.»
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is investigating Trump for felony falsifying business records. Cohen testified before the grand jury that he is hearing evidence in the case for the second time on Wednesday.