Trump says he expects to be arrested in a case that involves allegations he paid hush money to a porn star.
Former US President Donald Trump claims he will be arrested on Tuesday as part of investigations into a case that involves him allegedly paying hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 US presidential election.
Trump called on his supporters to protest ahead of any arrest attempts made.
Here is a timeline of events in this case since the controversy began more than five years ago:
2018
January
US media outlet Wall Street Journal publishes details of Trump allegedly paying $130,000 weeks before the 2016 polls to stop Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, from going public about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006.
February
Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen, in a statement to the New York Times, says he paid Daniels $130,000, a transaction in which “neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign” was involved.
March
Daniels sues Trump over non-disclosure agreement stating the former president never signed an agreement for her to keep silent about their “intimate” relationship.
The now 44-year-old said on the CBS show 60 Minutes that she and Trump had sexual relations only once, but that she had seen him on other occasions and he had kept in touch with her.
April
Trump denies any knowledge to reporters of a payment made to Daniels in exchange for her silence.
In a separate case, Daniels files a defamation lawsuit against Trump after he says in a tweet that her claims of being threatened by a man over the affair was a “con job”.
May
In a series of tweets, Trump admits a payment was made to Daniels by Cohen, but asserts no election campaign funds or contributions were used.
August
Cohen pleads guilty to campaign finance violations, tax evasions and other charges, saying he made payments to influence the 2016 election at the “direction of a candidate for federal office”.
Cohen said he paid $130,000 and $150,000 to Daniels and nude model Karen McDougal upon Trump’s request.
October
A California court dismisses Daniels’ defamation suit against Trump, ordering her to pay Trump’s lawyer fees.
December
Cohen is sentenced for three years, reporting to prison in May 2019.
2019
February
In his testimony to the US Congress, Cohen said Trump called him and asked him to mislead the public about hush money paid to Daniels and asked him to say that the president “wasn’t knowledgeable” about the payments.
May
Judge James Otero, who presided over the defamation suit brought by Daniels, also dismisses her case against Trump over ending the non-disclosure agreement.
July
A New York City court unseals documents related to Cohen’s case revealing that Trump was part of efforts to keep alleged affairs secret, including that with Daniels, before the 2016 election.
2020
July
In a setback to the former president, the US Supreme Court rejects Trump’s arguments for presidential immunity and ruled that a New York prosecutor can obtain his financial records.
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr and a House of Representatives committee had subpoenaed Trump’s accounting firm Mazars USA LLP for 10 years of his financial records.
Trump lambasted the decision, arguing he was being treated unfairly and was being persecuted for political reasons.
2022
March
Daniel’s loses her appeal related to her 2018 defamation suit, and ordered to pay nearly $300,000 in lawyer fees. Trump calls the ruling “a total and complete victory and vindication”.
2023
March
The New York Times reported on March 9 that a grand jury has offered Trump an opportunity to testify – signalling an investigation into the hush money case may soon end in a criminal case.
Trump’s lawyer Joseph Tacopina confirmed the Manhattan district attorney’s office invited the former president to testify.
On March 18, Trump claimed he will be arrested, calling on his supporters to come out in protest.
