Former US President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 criminal charges following his arrest in his historic court appearance.
He was arraigned before the Manhattan criminal court Tuesday afternoon.
CNN quoting a source familiar with the matter said the indictment against Trump has been unsealed.
Report indicates that former President Trump was placed under arrest and in police custody before his arraignment.
The arraignment in the Manhattan courtroom Tuesday was quick and routine but represents a surreal and historic moment in US history.
The DA’s investigation is as a result of a hush money payments made ahead of the 2016 election to two women who claimed to have had affairs with Trump. He has denied the affairs and any wrongdoing.
Michael Cohen, then Trump’s lawyer, paid adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 in the closing days of the campaign. He has said he made the payment at Trump’s direction, and Trump had acknowledged repaying Cohen through payments that were labeled as legal expenses.
Prosecutors also questioned witnesses about allegations that $150,000 in hush money had been previously paid to former Playboy playmate Karen McDougal, two sources familiar with the Manhattan grand jury’s work have said.
Cohen — who testified before the grand jury — acknowledged he was involved in both payments in a guilty plea in Manhattan federal court in 2018.
The arraignment is just the beginning of a lengthy legal process in the case that could take months or years to resolve.