Major news organizations have asked a judge presiding over former President Donald Trump’s Tuesday arraignment to allow cameras inside the courtroom.
In a petition to Judge Juan Merchan on Friday, outlets, including CNN, The New York Times and The Associated Press, emphasized the proceeding’s historic nature in making the request.
“The gravity of this proceeding — unprecedented and historic arraignment of a former U.S. President — and, consequently the need for the broadest possible public access, cannot be overstated,” the outlets said.
Merchan set a deadline of 1 p.m. Monday for Trump’s legal team and the Manhattan district attorney’s office to submit any objection to the news outlets’ request for broadcast coverage of the proceeding, according to CNN. He is expected to make a decision on the matter by end of day Monday.
In a separate petition, the news organizations requested the unsealing of the indictment “without delay.”
“Aside from the fact that a former U.S. president is not a flight risk, maintaining the indictment under seal, despite the public disclosure of its existence, only fuels speculation as to its contents,” they said.
The media outlets also argued unsealing the charges would “enhance both the general public’s and the parties’ right to an accurate public understanding of the charges.”
If the judge denies the request, the charges will be revealed during Tuesday’s proceeding.
A lawyer representing Trump, Joe Tacopina, said he hopes the arraignment will be “as painless and classy as possible,” even though he expects the New York prosecutors will “try to get every ounce of publicity out of this that they can get.”
A Manhattan grand jury on Thursday voted to indict Trump. He is reportedly facing several charges related to business fraud, including at least one felony charge, sources told AP, over hush money payments in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election.
Trump’s former personal fixer Michael Cohen said he facilitated a $130,000 payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels on behalf of Trump to keep their affair quiet. Trump has denied the allegations.
The former president’s campaign has confirmed Trump plans to address the public from Mar-a-Lago in Florida after his arraignment Tuesday.
The former president has decried the investigation as a “Witch-Hunt” and claims it is politically motivated.