Donald Trump's lawyer insists he knows exact number of charges former president is facing

Donald Trump will face 34 counts of business fraud after a grand jury voted to indict him over an alleged hush money payment to a porn star, his lawyer has said.

“We now heard 34 counts, and I guarantee you it’s going to be 34 counts when we find out next week,” Joe Tacopina told Fox News host Sean Hannity.

Mr Trump, who will become the first former president of the United States to be charged with a crime, is accused of falsifying business records after $130,000 was paid to Stormy Daniels.

She said the money was to buy her silence about a sexual encounter with Mr Trump at a hotel in Lake Tahoe in 2006. Mr Trump has repeatedly denied the encounter took place.

“They’ll take each check and make that a count, perhaps, and that’s how they’ll do it because the checks are paid to Cohen,” he explained.

'Witch-hunt'

Mr Trump compared his criminal indictment to a “witch-hunt” as he warned that it would “backfire massively” on US President Joe Biden.

He said was a victim of "political persecution" and that Democrats were "trying to impact an election".

"The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to ‘Get Trump,’ but now they’ve done the unthinkable – indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference,” he said.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, an elected Democrat, has been investigating Mr Trump for potential violations of campaign finance law.

According to CNN, Mr Trump was charged with more than 30 counts relating to business fraud.

The decision to charge him on Thursday came without warning and Mr Trump's campaign was not given prior notice.

It opened up the way for him to be arrested, fingerprinted, and have his mugshot taken.

Mr Trump was expected to appear in court in New York on Tuesday.

The former president said Mr Bragg was a "disgrace" and was "doing Joe Biden’s dirty work".

He added: "I believe this Witch-Hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden."

A spokesman for Mr Trump said there was no crime, adding. "It is sad to see radical Democrats and their partners in the media try to resurrect a dead witch hunt”.

Mr Bragg's spokesman said: "This evening we contacted Mr Trump’s attorney to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan DA’s Office for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal.

"Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected.”

Mr Trump has already declared that he will continue campaigning for the Republican nomination even if charged.

A criminal conviction would not automatically disqualify him from running for president or taking office if convicted.

In January, Mr Bragg convened a grand jury which began hearing evidence about Mr Trump's role in the payment to Ms Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.

Days before the 2016 presidential election, Ms Daniels was paid $130,000 by Mr Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen.

She said the money was to buy her silence about a sexual encounter with Mr Trump at a hotel in Lake Tahoe in 2006. Mr Trump has repeatedly denied the encounter took place.

Mr Cohen has already been convicted for his role and has said Mr Trump directed him to make the hush payment, later reimbursing him.

According to prosecutors the actions could be a breach of campaign finance law. No former or sitting US president has ever faced criminal charges.

Mr Trump is also facing two other criminal investigations. One in Georgia relates to alleged attempts to overturn the result of the 2020 election. Another in Washington stems from the US Capitol riot on Jan 6, 2021.

The Stormy Daniels indictment was filed under seal by Mr Bragg's office in Manhattan and is expected to be publicly announced in the coming days.

On March 18 Mr Trump wrote on social media that he had expected to be arrested on March 21.

At the time he urged his supporters to protest and "take our nation back," which led to anticipation of possible violent protests in New York. Barriers have been erected in New York in readiness for Mr Trump’s arrest amid fears of violent demonstrations.

Playboy model payments probed

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported that investigators are also looking into claims the former president paid $150,000 to former Playboy model,  Karen McDougal.

Playboy Magazine’s Playmate of the Year in 1998, Ms McDougal alleges she began a 10-month relationship with Mr Trump in 2006, which the former president has denied.

Some leading Republicans have accused Mr Bragg of political motivations. Kevin McCarthy, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, has called the investigation an "outrageous abuse of power by a radical DA".

He announced a congressional investigation into whether government funding was being used to support Mr Bragg's inquiry, and to "subvert our democracy."

In 2018, Mr Trump initially disputed knowing anything about the payment to Ms Daniels. He later acknowledged reimbursing Mr Cohen for the payment, which he called a "simple private transaction".

Mr Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance law violations, and other offences, and was sentenced to three years in prison. He testified before the Manhattan grand jury investigating Mr Trump on March 13.

Donald Trump leads poll

The charges came as the former president cemented his lead in the race for the Republican nomination.

A new poll showed Mr Trump has doubled his lead over Ron DeSantis to 30 points in the race for the Republican nomination.

In the poll by Fox News Republican primary voters were asked to choose from a list of 15 potential contenders.

The results showed 54 per cent backed Mr Trump, while 24 per cent supported his nearest rival Mr DeSantis, the Florida governor.

Mr Trump doubled his lead from the same poll in February, when he led Mr DeSantis by 43 per cent to 28 per cent.

Pollster Daron Shaw, who conducted the poll, said: "The rumour that Trump is going to be indicted by the district attorney in Manhattan has helped him quite a bit among Republican primary voters.

"They view the case as politically motivated, and it re-animates feelings that Trump is still fighting forces they see as corrupt and out of control."