THE SQUIZ
Former US President Donald Trump says “illegal leaks” from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office suggest he will be arrested on Tuesday – something that authorities haven’t confirmed or rejected. Trump posted the update to followers on his ‘Truth’ social media platform yesterday but didn’t say what the charges are that he expects to be laid… Reports say they’re likely to do with a years-long criminal investigation into hush money Trump allegedly paid to 2 women who claimed they had ‘encounters’ with him. And given Trump’s a 2024 presidential candidate hopeful, it could mean yuge problems for his campaign…

I FEEL A BACKSTORY COMING ON…
Yup – there’s been a long series of events leading up to this point. You might remember the name Stormy Daniels – she’s the adult film star who made the hush money claims back when Trump was in office. Daniels and another woman say they were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep quiet about their alleged affairs with Trump, which he’s denied… It’s legally problematic for Trump because the payoffs are said to have happened in the lead-up to the 2016 election. As a candidate, Trump was only allowed to receive up to $2,700 from any individual, and he wasn’t allowed to take money from corporations. But reports say Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen funded Daniels’ payment of US$130,000 and organised for a US tabloid – a corporation – to pay the other woman off under the promise of repayment. Cohen was jailed for his part in it, and whether Trump also committed campaign finance violations in the eyes of the law is also being looked at. 

SO WHERE ARE THINGS UP TO?
Last week, Cohen appeared in front of a Manhattan grand jury (which is what prosecutors convene to determine whether there is enough evidence to make a case) – it’s considering charges against Trump. He says he’s “absolutely” prepared to testify against his former client if the case goes to trial. And in what reports say is a sign that prosecutors are getting closer to laying formal charges, Trump was invited to testify in front of the grand jury last week but didn’t take to the stand. If it goes ahead, Trump would be the first former US president to be indicted. For his part, he’s labelled the investigation a “witch hunt” and has urged his followers to protest and “take our nation back”, and senior Republicans, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, have called it politically motivated and “an outrageous abuse of power”. But Democrats say no one is above the law.