Former US president Donald Trump has reportedly been indicted by a grand jury in New York.
Trump will be the first former US president to face criminal charges, the New York Times reports.
NBC News and CNN have also reported the indictment, and the Associated Press reports a lawyer for Trump confirmed the news.
"The precise charges are not yet known, but the case is focused on a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign," the New York Times report read, citing "four people with knowledge of the matter".
"The felony indictment, filed under seal by the Manhattan district attorney's office, will likely be announced in the coming days.
It comes after a New York grand jury voted to indict the former president. (Source: 1News)
"By then, prosecutors working for the district attorney... will have asked Mr Trump to surrender and face arraignment on charges that remain unknown for now.
"Mr Trump has for decades avoided criminal charges despite persistent scrutiny and repeated investigations, creating an aura of legal invincibility that the vote to indict now threatens to puncture."
The Associated Press reports that Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing and has attacked the investigation, was expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to a person familiar with the matter.
It is likely to galvanise critics who say Trump lied and cheated his way to the top and embolden supporters who feel the Republican is being unfairly targeted by a Democratic prosecutor.
CNN reports Trump was "caught off guard" by the grand jury's decision.
Trump responds
In a statement, Trump called the indictment "Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history".
"From the time I came down the golden escalator at Trump Tower, and even before I was sworn in as your President of the United States, the Radical Left Democrats... have been engaged in a Witch-Hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement," he said.
Calling himself a "completely innocent person" and "by far the leading Republican candidate for President", he attacked the Democrat Party and the district attorney, stressing: "Never before in our Nation’s history has this been done.
"I believe this Witch-Hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden."
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