Donald Trump is expected to voluntarily turn himself in to a New York district attorney’s office on Tuesday over charges related to hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels.
The former president will have his fingerprints and mugshot taken and appear for arraignment in court. He will likely be released and allowed to head home, experts have said.
Mugshots are not public record under New York state law, though they have leaked in the past.
Trump could seek to have the picture released himself in the hopes of a political boost as he makes another bid for the White House.
Within minutes of word of his indictment breaking, his 2024 presidential campaign was sending fundraising messages off the back of the news. His campaign has said it has raised more than $5 million and logged more than 16,000 volunteer signups since the indictment.
Trump could follow the path of other politicians. Texas governor Rick Perry posed for a mugshot photo in August 2014 after he was indicted on felony charges of abuse of power and coercion of a public servant.
Perry was looking to build momentum for a 2016 presidential run that ultimately fizzled out in a matter of months – much like the case against him, which never went to trial.
An attorney for Trump has said they are against the former president’s mugshot being released.
Alina Habba told CNN: “I like transparency. I think that in certain situations, it’s a good thing. I do have a problem with leaking of pictures. I think that because we’re in a campaign, because he’s the leading GOP candidate, it’s not going to help anything.”
Trump’s campaign has announced he will deliver remarks on Tuesday night from his Mar-a-Lago club after returning from Manhattan. He is expected to be joined in Florida by supporters as he tries to project an image of strength and defiance to boost his presidential run.
The Associated Press has reported Trump is facing multiple charges of falsifying business records in the indictment handed up by a Manhattan grand jury last week. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has blasted the investigation as a “witch hunt”.