Former US President Donald Trump is coming to Ireland – just weeks after he was charged with dozens of offences in America.
The Mirror can reveal that the 76-year-old is to spend time at his Trump International Hotel resort in Doonbeg, Co Clare early next month.
We have established that he will land in Shannon Airport at the start of May – and stay in the resort for at least 24 hours.
READ MORE: GSOC officer resigns amid claims he was at house party with Gerry Hutch hours after Regency verdict
It will be the first trip abroad by Trump since he was hit with 34 different felonies, or charges, at the start of this month.
We have established that the US Embassy informed Garda management of the planned visit in recent days.
There will now be a major policing operation by Clare gardai to protect Mr Trump on his visit to Ireland - but he will also be accompanied by around a dozen armed US Secret Service personnel.
As well as local gardai, members of the Emergency Response Unit are also likely to be deployed to protect Mr Trump.
It’s also understood gardai are not yet aware of Mr Trump’s itinerary during his stay in Ireland, but he is likely to play at least one round of golf at the world class course at his hotel.
Mr Trump, who lost his bid for re-election to current president Joe Biden in November 2020, denies all the charges.
He is accused of falsifying business records and conspiracy for his alleged role in hush money payments to two women towards the end of his successful 2016 presidential campaign. He faces four years per count if convicted, but is vowing to fight the charges.
He was hit with the monster indictment by a New York court at the start of April – which includes a claim the former president made a payment to squash a story about him having a child out of wedlock.
According to the indictment's statement of facts, a $30,000 payment was made to a doorman at Trump Tower by American Media (AMI), who knew about it.
AMI was a media organisation that owned magazines and tabloids including the National Enquirer. It is alleged that AMI CEO David Pecker said he would act as the "eyes and ears" for the Trump campaign and try to spot negative stories about him.
It is claimed that AMI "concluded the story was not true", leading Pecker to try and release the doorman from his agreement, but a lawyer told the CEO not to release the doorman from his agreement until after the presidential election.
“In or about October or November 2015, the AMI CEO learned that a former Trump Tower doorman was trying to sell information regarding a child that the Defendant had allegedly fathered out of wedlock,” the document reads.
It claims that Pecker "negotiated and signed an agreement to pay the Doorman $30,000 to acquire exclusive rights to the story."
AMI is alleged to have "falsely characterised this payment in AMI’s books and records, including in its general ledger."
It continued: "AMI purchased the information from the Doorman without fully investigating his claims, but the AMI CEO directed that the deal take place because of his agreement with the Defendant and Lawyer A."
Mr Trump pleaded not guilty to "34 counts of falsifying business records and conspiracy for his alleged role in hush money payments to two women toward the end of his 2016 presidential campaign."
He denies all charges against him.
Mr Trump previously visited Doonbeg when he was president in June 2019 and has owned the €45 million hotel since 2014.
The Garda Press Office has declined to comment on the planned visit.
It will come just weeks after Mr Biden visited Louth Dublin and Mayo.
READ NEXT:
- Garda arrested at Dublin Airport after being caught with €100 worth of cocaine
- Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch set to zig zag his way across Europe in bid to 'avoid a bullet'
- Irish doctors issue warning to young people about 'alarming increase' in colorectal cancer
- Ireland weather: Met Eireann forecast last of the sunshine before sub-zero temperatures return
- Richard Dunne pinpoints Erik ten Hag's biggest problem at Man United
