From CNN’s Photo Desk
History was made Thursday when former President Donald Trump was indicted by a New York grand jury.
It’s the first time that a current or former US president has been criminally charged.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office has been investigating Trump’s alleged role in a hush money payment scheme and cover-up involving adult film star Stormy Daniels that dates to the 2016 presidential campaign.
Trump is expected to appear in court Tuesday for his arraignment, sources told CNN, and his attorney said he plans to file “substantial” legal challenges. The former president has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in the matter and accused Democrats of targeting him politically.
Trump was bracing for an indictment as early as March 18, when he said in a social media post that he expected to be arrested within days. In his post, he appealed to his supporters for action, writing, “Protest, take our nation back.”
See photos of the days leading up to Trump’s indictment:
Pence cautions House GOP about investigating Manhattan district attorney
From CNN’s Veronica Stracqualursi
Former Vice President Mike Pence on Friday cautioned House Republicans, who have threatened an investigation into the Manhattan district attorney, to “temper their inquiries” and not turn the case into an example of federal overreach in local affairs.
“I’m somebody who believes in federalism, and as wrong as this DA is, I have a check in my spirit about the federal government becoming involved in even wrongheaded local law enforcement or prosecutions,” he told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto in an interview.
“And so I’d want our friends in the Congress to be judicious about that, careful about that. They can certainly ask questions, but at the end of the day, I think that this is a matter the American people see through, they see that politics is driving this decision.”
Pressed by Cavuto if he’s against Republicans’ requests for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to testify, Pence said: “Congress has every right to ask whatever questions that they want to ask.”
“But I think beginning with the premise that even bad decisions by state and local government are still an element of our federalism in the country,” he continued. “So I just want them to — I’d want them to temper their inquiries to respect federalism.”
What the GOP lawmakers are saying: Three House Republican leaders — House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan, House Oversight Chairman Rep. James Comer and House Administration Chairman Rep. Bryan Steil – sent a letter last week calling for Bragg’s testimony after former President Donald Trump warned he would be arrested.
The three chairmen accused the district attorney of conducting a politically motivated prosecution and wrote that they intend to investigate whether Bragg and his office used federal public safety funds as part of its grand jury investigation.
