KENTUCKY — Former President Donald Trump was indicted by a New York grand jury on Thursday, marking the first time in American history that a president—current or former—has been charged with a crime.

Republicans in Kentucky were quick to sound off on the indictment, even though its exact details are unknown and under seal.


What You Need To Know

  • Former President Donald Trump was indicted by a New York grand jury on Thursday, marking the first time in American history that a president—current or former—has been charged with a crime

  • Republicans in Kentucky were quick to sound off on the indictment, even though its exact details are unknown and under seal

  • Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said he was "appalled" by news of the indictment and Rep. Thomas Massie called it "completely bogus"

  • Trump is expected to surrender early next week, sources told Spectrum News 1

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, one of the leading candidates in the GOP primary for governor, said he was "appalled" by news of the indictment on social media. Cameron has been endorsed by Trump in the gubernatorial race.

"I'm appalled by the weaponization of our justice system against President Trump," Cameron said, also accusing Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg of pursuing the "politically motivated" prosecution to appease "the desires of the far-left."

In a brief statement, a spokesperson for Bragg confirmed Trump's indictment and coordination with his legal team regarding his eventual surrender.

"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," the spokesperson said. "Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected"

The indictment is under seal and has not been made public yet. 

Other gubernatorial hopefuls were also quick to speak out against the indictment. Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles said on social media the indictment "reeks of political retribution" and millionaire Kelly Craft called it "sad" and an "abuse of power."

"Leftists will stop at nothing, including political prosecution, to stop President Donald Trump," Craft wrote on Twitter, also echoing similar sentiments spouted by Trump about George Soros, a billionaire philanthropist and frequent target of right-wing conspiracy theories.

Members of Kentucky's congressional delegation also voiced their outrage on social media. Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., blasted the sealed indictment as "blatantly political." 

"This case rests on a far-fetched legal theory untested anywhere in the U.S.," Comer said in an interview on Fox News. "The American people deserve better than this cheap, political stunt."

Firebrand Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., called the indictment "completely bogus" in a tweet early Friday morning.

"Supposedly, Trump’s been indicted for failing to properly report hush payments as campaign expenditures," Massie said. "That’s completely bogus. In fact, they would have indicted him sooner for a crime of using campaign funds for personal benefit had he reported it as a campaign expenditure!"

The former president now faces arrest and an arraignment on yet-to-be disclosed charges in Manhattan Criminal Court, a state-level court.

Trump's attorneys pledged to "vigorously fight" the indictment.

"He did not commit any crime," Trump attorneys Susan Necheles and Joe Tacopina said in a statement. "We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in court."

The case centers on well-chronicled allegations from a period in 2016 when Trump’s celebrity past collided with his political ambitions. Prosecutors scrutinized money paid to adult film actor Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, whom he feared would go public with claims that they had extramarital sexual encounters with him. The case against the former president may involve falsifying business records and violating campaign finance laws.

Trump has previously denied both the affair and any wrongdoing.

Falsifying business records is a misdemeanor, but doing so in furtherance of another crime is a felony in New York state.

Bragg and his office have been under siege since Trump speculated the arrest was going to come in a matter of days earlier this month. Republicans leading key House committees have threatened to subpoena Bragg for testimony and documents connected to the investigation. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., called for investigations into Bragg’s office.

Bomb threats targeted Bragg’s office, Manhattan courthouses, and the headquarters of the NYPD last week, according to the New York Daily News, but were deemed unfounded. On Friday, Bragg’s office received a threatening letter with a powdery substance, though law enforcement later “determined there was no dangerous substance,” according to Bragg spokesperson Danielle Filson.

“Alvin, I am going to kill you,” the letter said, a person familiar with the matter told the Associated Press.

Spectrum News’ Victoria Manna and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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