It’s common to pay “protection money” to inmates, gangs, and guards to keep loved ones safe behind bars. If former president Trump goes to jail, will he have to pay for safety, or will the Secret Service have his back?
Trump facing possible 136 years in prison
Jail can be a dangerous place, and families have shelled out thousands in “protection money” to inmates, gangs, and guards who demand cash to keep their loved ones safe, with sometimes deadly consequences to those who don’t.
These simple facts about life behind bars have a lot of people wondering: If former president Trump goes to prison, will he have to pay for protection, or will the Secret Service guarantee his safety?
Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan court on Tuesday to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. If he were to be convicted, the charges carry a maximum sentence of 136 years in prison, Fox News reported.
Although falsifying business records is typically a misdemeanor charge in New York, DA Alvin Bragg elevated the charges to a felony with a maximum four-year sentence saying they meet the standard because “intent to defraud includes an intent to commit another crime or to aid or conceal the commission thereof.”
“The first is New York state election law, which makes it a crime to conspire to promote a candidacy by unlawful means,” Bragg stated in justifying the felony charges. “I further indicated a number of unlawful means, including additional false statements, including statements that were planned to be made to tax authorities. I also noted the federal election law cap on contribution limits.”
Whether there will be enough proof to convict Trump remains to be seen.
Back in 2019, prosecutors in the Southern District of New York decided in 2019 not to charge Trump with any crimes related to the payments, thinking they did not have a strong enough case. The Federal Election Commission also closed an investigation into the matter without any charges.
How will Trump be protected if he goes to jail?
While experts believe a jail term for Donald Trump is unlikely, in the event he is sent to prison, the question remains on whether the former president would have to pay off inmates, gangs, and guards to stay safe or whether he would still retain his own posse of Secret Service agents to protect him.
A retired US Judge, Joseph Cosgrove, formerly of the Court of Common Pleas of the 11th Judicial District in Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, claims to have the answer.
In an interview with Sky News on Tuesday, the judge said Secret Service agents would follow Trump to prison to ensure his protection.
“No matter where he goes, he will have secret service protection, which creates just this bizarre image,” Cosgrove said. “Let’s assume the worst for Mr Trump: if he were sentenced to some sort of confinement, he would be confined with his secret service agents.”
Cosgrove added that the Secret Service is legally bound to “protect him [Trump] at all cost,” and that all former presidents are entitled to Secret Service protection for life under federal law, Yahoo reported.
Trump would “certainly not be part of the general population,” a retired FBI special agent told Insider.
Last year, two former Secret Service agents told Insider that if Trump ever went to prison for any reason, agents would very likely follow him.
Nonetheless, experts say that it is unlikely Trump will face any jail time, and even if convicted, it is more likely that he would be subjected to a fine, community service, or probation.
