One of former President Donald Trump’s attorneys said Friday his client was “shocked” when he heard the news Thursday evening he had been indicted by a New York grand jury.
Trump predicted several weeks ago he would be charged by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office and arrested.
Thursday, Bragg’s office announced it will charge Trump with potentially dozens of crimes related to 2016 “hush money” payments to former adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Trump has denied an affair ever happened, and a federal probe in 2019 resulted in no charges over alleged campaign finance violations.
On “Good Morning America” on Friday, Trump attorney Joe Tacopina reacted to the indictment during an interview with George Stephanopoulos, who worked for the Clinton administration before he took a job at ABC News.
Tacopina was asked by Stephanopoulos how Trump reacted to a call that he would be the first former president criminally charged.
“Initially, shocked, I will tell you,” Tacopina said.
The attorney tried to continue his statement but was cut off by the host.
Stephanopoulos asked the lawyer how the former president could have been caught off guard by the announcement and said Trump “predicted” it.
Tacopina said Trump had merely repeated what he had heard from a leak in the district attorney’s office.
“This case has been permeated with rumors and leaks,” he said. “He was hoping that rule of law would have prevailed.”
As for how he feels about the upcoming potential trial of Trump in New York, Tacopina said, “I feel like the rule of law died yesterday in this country.”
Donald Trump’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, tells @ABC News’ @GStephanopoulos the former president’s initial reaction to his indictment was “shock,” despite predicting his own arrest “based on rumors and leaks.” https://t.co/MUOvM0Qc4J pic.twitter.com/EzNA0tn5UY
— ABC News (@ABC) March 31, 2023
Bragg’s office said in a news release Thursday evening that Trump’s legal team had been contacted after the recommendation of a grand jury that he be charged.
“This evening we contacted Mr. Trump’s attorney to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan D.A.’s Office for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal,” Bragg’s office said in a statement. “Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected.”
— Alvin Bragg (@ManhattanDA) March 30, 2023
Trump is likely to be arraigned on Tuesday of next week.
Tacopino said the logistics of that will be complicated. He will also move to have the case thrown out.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.