Trump Trials

For the first time in American history, a former President is facing criminal charges. In 2023 alone, ex-President Donald J. Trump has racked up 91 charges from the state to federal level. Overall, there are four total cases being investigated against Trump, each leveraging different charges against him.This article will give a short breakdown of each of the four  cases, and explain the charges placed against Trump.

 Trump was first indicted on March 30 on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. He was accused of covering up an alleged $130,000 worth of “hush money” payments sent from his lawyer, Michael Cohen, to adult film star Stormy Daniels, attempting to keep her quiet about a supposed affair between her and Trump. Prosecutors suspect him of disguising reimbursements to Cohen as legal expenses. Trump is pleading not guilty to all charges and denying the affair. 

On June 8, Trump received his first federal indictment. This time, the former President was accused of keeping classified government documents hidden, and conspiring to conceal the fact he had them. According to the indictments, Trump was hiding the documents "in various locations at The Mar-a-Lago Club including in a ballroom, a bathroom and shower, an office space, his bedroom, and a storage room”. There are 40 total charges placed, with 32 of them being unlawful retention of national defense information. Once again, Trump is pleading not guilty.

Trump was accused again on August 1, 2023  of spreading lies about the election being fraudulent, thus leading to the January 6th attack on the capital. However, Trump is not alone in this case. Alongside him, six  unnamed co-conspirators are listed in the indictments. Four charges have been filed, the most serious being Conspiracy to defraud the U.S, and Conspiracy against rights. By accusing Trump of conspiracy against rights, the indictment is suggesting that Trump could have used his position of power to intimidate, or threaten others to get what he wants. This case marks Trump's second federal indictment, to which he denies all offenses. 

The most recent indictment against Trump was on August 14, relating to a series of racketeering charges. Racketeering is defined as dishonest and fraudulent business dealings, and it was originally created to crack down on the mob. Most states in the U.S. have similar laws relating to racketeering; however, Georgia is different from other states in this way. Law in Georgia allows prosecutors to investigate defendants' activity in other states, and one doesn't actually need to make an action to be convicted. As long as prosecutors can prove one to be associated with the group, the defendant can be charged. In Trump's case, he and 18 co-defendants are accused of working together to alter the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Because this is a state level case, the charges may bypass Trump's presidential pardon. And due to the more extreme nature of Georgia’s racketeering laws, if convicted Trump could be facing up to 20 years per count. So far, one defendant involved has pleaded guilty, with the rest denying all accusations.