The former president is expected donald trumpwho was convicted last month of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, have a virtual interview with a New York City Probation Department official on Monday as the agency prepares a sentencing recommendation to the judge in the case, three people with knowledge of the matter said.
Trump will be at his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida, for the virtual meeting, his first with a parole officer since becoming the first U.S. president convicted of a felony.
A jury in Manhattan found him guilty on May 30 in a bribery case stemming from a payment that Trump’s then-fixer, Michael Cohenhe did to Stormy Danielsa porn actress who said she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006 in the final days of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, and the creation of 34 false business records to cover up Trump’s repayment to Cohen that occurred in early 2017, after his election.
Trump, the presumptive 2024 Republican nominee, remains out of prison and has returned to Florida since the verdict.
One of his attorneys, Todd Blanche, will also be present at the interview, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting.
Judge Juan M. Merchanwho presided over the criminal trial, approved the virtual meeting, the person said.
The timing of the interview was first reported by NBC News.
Trump is expected to be sentenced on July 11 and could receive a sentence ranging from probation to four years in prison.
He is appealing the verdict.
“President Trump and his legal team are already taking the necessary steps to challenge and defeat the Manhattan DA’s lawless case,” he said. Steven Cheunga spokesperson for the Trump campaign, in a statement on Sunday.
In New York State, after a person is convicted of a felony or serious misdemeanor, a probation officer must prepare a pre-sentence report, which the judge uses to help determine the defendant’s punishment. .
In some cases, the defendant may also be interviewed by a social worker or psychologist who works for the Probation Department.
Such reports also include the defendant’s criminal history, if any, and the probation officer often interviews the arresting officer in the case and the defendant’s family and friends.
Pre-sentence reports also offer the defendant’s attorney the opportunity to make positive statements about the defendant.
As part of preparing the report, the official is likely to ask Trump what happened that led to the charges against him.
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