In the event that former President Donald Trump is indicted in connection to an ongoing criminal investigation by the office of Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance, local authorities in Palm Beach have been actively planning for potentially needing to handle an extradition of the former president, according to POLITICO.
According to sources that the outlet described as “two high-ranking county officials involved in planning sessions,” law enforcement officials in Palm Beach County, Florida — which contains Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, where he has been staying since leaving office — have “actively prepared” for the possibility of a Trump indictment from Vance. Figures involved in these meetings have also explored “how to handle the thorny extradition issues that could arise if an indictment moves forward,” POLITICO adds.
Among other factors weighing on the situation, Trump’s legal team could negotiate a deal with New York prosecutors for the former president to surrender outside of the extradition process, and there’s also a legal allowance in Florida for the governor to examine whether a subject of an extradition request “ought to be surrendered” to authorities behind the criminal case in question. In Florida, Trump ally Republican Ron DeSantis currently serves as governor, and those in Trump’s orbit have, generally speaking, not exactly hesitated to use their political power for the benefit of their allies in the past.
Despite the potential of an extra review of Trump’s case by DeSantis, the former president is actually soon heading to New Jersey, where he will be staying at another of his properties while Mar-a-Lago sits closed for the season. In New Jersey, Democrat Phil Murphy currently serves as governor, suggesting that local authorities there would likely be less inclined to favor Trump in the possible event of his indictment.
Whether or not Trump will end up facing criminal charges in connection to Vance’s investigation remains to be seen. Vance’s team has been comprehensively examining potential fraud at the Trump family business, and they’ve secured some key investigative wins. Vance’s team, for instance, successfully obtained recent years of Trump’s tax returns, and they’ve also had former longtime Trump fixer Michael Cohen and Jennifer Weisselberg as cooperating witnesses. Weisselberg is the former daughter-in-law of Allen Weisselberg, who serves as Chief Financial Officer at the Trump Organization and is a longtime close ally of the former president’s family.
Trump, of course, has repeatedly lashed out against the criminal investigative efforts that he is facing, but evidence is evidence. Notably, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) indicated following her removal from a position of party leadership this week that she supports criminally investigating Trump over his incitement of the mob that stormed the Capitol in January.
