SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Former President Donald J. Trump became the first ex-president of the United States in history to be handed a criminal indictment on Thursday. The former commander in chief has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury in a hush money case stemming from alleged payoffs he made to a porn star to keep her from coming forward during his 2016 campaign with details on a supposed affair.

Trump has responded by calling the indictment “Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history” and maintaining his innocence. In Washington, opinions on the matter have predictably been divided along party lines.

In the Bay Area and across the Golden State, elected leaders have begun weighing in on Trump’s historic indictment.

Lee: “No one is above the law”

Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) issued a simple statement on Twitter:

“No one is above the law.”

Now do the rest of his crimes.”

Swalwell calls indictment “a somber day for America”

U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA) called Trump’s indictment a “somber day for America” and issued the following statement:

“The indictment of a former president is a somber day for America. It’s also a time to put faith in our judicial system. Donald Trump deserves every protection provided to him by the Constitution and due process under our rule of law.

“As this case progresses let us neither celebrate nor destroy. As the former president continues to call for violence in his name, let all of us, as Democrats and Republicans, condemn his efforts to incite. We are better than that and justice benefits all of us.”

Indictment has “irreparably damaged our country”: McCarthy

Republican Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg has “irreparably damaged” the country by issuing the indictment. McCarthy released the following statement on Twitter:

“Alvin Bragg has irreparably damaged our country in an attempt to interfere in our Presidential election.

As he routinely frees violent criminals to terrorize the public, he weaponized our sacred system of justice against President Donald Trump.

The American people will not tolerate this injustice, and the House of Representatives will hold Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented abuse of power to account.”