Tracking Trump’s tangled web of legal troubles
Former President Trump is increasingly enmeshed in a tangled web of legal troubles, facing state and federal probes across the country.
Trump is a party in more than a half-dozen civil lawsuits and faces 78 criminal charges across three cases, ranging from an alleged hush money cover-up to his purported efforts to overturn the 2020 election ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
With some trials set and others yet-to-be decided, the cases will continue to overlap well into 2024 — all while Trump mounts his third bid for the White House as the favorite to win the GOP nomination.
Here’s what we know about Trump’s major criminal and civil cases.
Criminal cases
Trump so far faces three criminal indictments, with a fourth likely on the way.
Hush Money
Summary: The former president pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with payments he sent to his then-fixer, Michael Cohen, allegedly as reimbursement for payments Cohen made to adult-film star Stormy Daniels to stay silent over an affair with Trump.
Prosecutors accused Trump of improperly deeming the payments a legal retainer fee to conceal damaging information from the public ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Trump attempted to move the case to federal court, but a judge rejected the move. Trump is now appealing, but the case is meanwhile moving ahead in New York state court.
Key players:
Stormy Daniels: Adult-film star given $130,000 hush money payment by Michael Cohen
Michael Cohen: Onetime Trump lawyer and “fixer” who made hush money payment
Karen McDougal: Ex-Playboy model paid $150,000 for story over alleged Trump affair
Prosecution:
Alvin Bragg (D), Manhattan DA
Trump’s attorneys: Joe Tacopina, Susan Necheles, Todd Blanche
Upcoming important dates:
- Trump deadline to seek dismissal of charges: Aug. 29
- Prosecutors’ response: Oct. 10
- Hearing on dismissal attempt: Jan. 4
- Trial starts: March 25
Key documents:
Classified Documents
Status: Indicted on June 8, additional charges brought on July 27
Summary: Trump is charged with 40 felony counts over alleged mishandling of classified records and attempting to obstruct the government’s retrieval of those records. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Prosecutors claim Trump willfully retained 32 documents containing national defense information after leaving the White House. The Justice Department originally brought 37 charges against Trump in June and weeks later unveiled a superseding indictment adding the additional counts.
Key players:
Walt Nauta: Trump aide indicted alongside the former president as a co-conspirator
Carlos De Oliveira: Property manager of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club indicted alongside the former president as a co-conspirator
Evan Corcoran: Trump lawyer who played key role in communications between Trump and federal investigators during the document search. He also testified before the grand jury
Prosecution:
Jack Smith, special counsel
Trump’s attorneys: Chris Kise, Todd Blanche
Upcoming important dates:
- Hearing on admissibility of classified evidence at trial: Jan. 16
- Trial begins: May 20
Efforts to Overturn the 2020 Election
Status: Indicted on Aug. 1
Summary: Trump pleaded not guilty to four felony counts over an alleged, multi-prong scheme to remain in power following the 2020 presidential election.
Prosecutors claim Trump engaged in multiple criminal conspiracies by pressuring state legislators, developing false slates of electors, leveraging the Justice Department, pressuring then-Vice President Mike Pence and exploiting the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Key players:
Rudy Giuliani: Trump lawyer and long-time ally who may be Co-Conspirator 1. Charging documents say Co-Conspirator 1 is “an attorney who was willing to spread knowingly false claims and pursue strategies that the Defendant’s 2020 re-election campaign attorneys would not.”
John Eastman: Trump lawyer who played key part in fake electors plot. Eastman’s attorney has confirmed he is Co-Conspirator 2. The second co-conspirator is “an attorney who devised and attempted to implement a strategy to leverage the Vice President’s ceremonial role overseeing the certification proceeding to obstruct the certification of the presidential election,” according to charging documents.
Sidney Powell: Trump lawyer who spread far-fetched and false claims of election fraud, and may be Co-Conspirator 3. Charging documents say Co-Conspirator 3 is “an attorney whose unfounded claims of election fraud (Trump) privately acknowledged to others sounded ‘crazy,’” though the former president “embraced and publicly amplified” those claims.
Jeffrey Clark: Former head of the Trump Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and later acting head of the Civil Division. He could be Co-Conspirator 4, who charging documents say is “a Justice Department official” who “attempted to use the Justice Department to open sham election crime investigations and influence state legislatures with knowingly false claims of election fraud.”
Kenneth Chesebro: A lawyer who helped coordinate the fake elector scheme, believed to be Co-Conspirator 5. Charging documents say Co-Conspirator 5 is “an attorney who assisted in devising and attempting to implement a plan to submit fraudulent slates of presidential electors to obstruct the certification proceeding.”
Co-Conspirator 6: The name of Co-Conspirator 6 is unknown at this time, though charging documents say the individual is a “political consultant who helped implement a plan to submit fraudulent slates of presidential electors to obstruct the certification proceeding.”
Prosecution:
Jack Smith, special counsel
Trump’s attorneys: John Lauro, Todd Blanche
Upcoming important dates:
- Trump deadline to propose trial date: Aug. 17
- Hearing likely setting trial date: Aug. 28
Key documents:
Georgia 2020 Election Interference
Status: Investigation
Summary: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) charged Trump and 18 co-defendants in her investigation into efforts to overturn the battleground state’s 2020 election results.
Willis brought sweeping Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) charges to weave together actions taken by numerous people involved in the plots, outlining 161 alleged acts prosecutors say Trump and his allied took in furtherance of the conspiracy.
Prosecution:
Fani Willis (D), Fulton County DA
Trump’s attorneys: Drew Findling, Jennifer Little
Key players:
Rudy Giuliani: Trump lawyer and long-time ally who helped lead efforts to overturn the 2020 election
John Eastman: Trump lawyer behind the fake electors plot
Brad Raffensperger: Georgia’s Secretary of State, whom Trump called on Jan. 2, 2021, and urged to “find 11,780 votes” for him in the state
Fake electors: The 16 fake Georgia electors who planned to declare Trump the winner of the state in 2020 despite his loss
Key documents:
High-profile civil cases
Trump also faces several civil cases spanning from alleged financial crimes to defamation regarding sexual assault.
E. Jean Carroll
Carroll’s other lawsuit, which is set to go to trial January 15, accuses Trump of defamation when Carroll initially came forward in 2019. The Justice Department previously defended Trump as immune, since the statements were made during his presidency, but the department has since reversed its position.
Read more:
- Trump counterclaim against E. Jean Carroll dismissed
- DOJ won’t consider Trump immune in E. Jean Carroll defamation lawsuit
- Trump appeals E. Jean Carroll verdict
- Trump found liable for sexual battery, defamation in E. Jean Carroll trial
NY AG Fraud
Summary: New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) filed a civil lawsuit against former President Trump, the Trump Organization and three of his adult children, alleging more than a decade of fraud. A state appeals court later dismissed Ivanka Trump from the suit.
The lawsuit alleges Trump’s company falsely inflated and deflated the value of assets in order to pay lower taxes and get better insurance coverage. It seeks $250 million in financial penalties, and asks the state’s Supreme Court to stop Trump or his children named in the lawsuit from serving as an officer or director for any New York-registered or licensed corporation.
Read more:
- New York attorney general sues Trump, three adult children for business fraud
- Five things to know about the NY AG’s new lawsuit against Trump
- New York AG’s office says Trump case ‘ready for trial’
Cohen v. Trump Organization and Trump v. Cohen
Summary: After Michael Cohen turned on Trump, following years of serving as his fixer, both men have filed lawsuits against each other. Cohen sued the Trump Organization for allegedly refusing to fulfill obligations to pay Cohen’s legal bills, and the parties settled for an undisclosed amount just before trial. Trump’s $500 million lawsuit against Cohen for breach of contract and other claims has not yet reached trial. Trump has accused Cohen of enriching himself through his podcast and book at Trump’s expense, among other claims.
Read more:
- Michael Cohen settles lawsuit against Trump Org just ahead of trial
- Trump hits former fixer Michael Cohen with $500M lawsuit
Pyramid Scheme
Summary: A class-action lawsuit filed in 2018 by four once-anonymous plaintiffs claiming Trump, his company and three of his adult children promoted a pyramid scheme in exchange for millions of dollars in secret payments is set for trial in January.
The plaintiffs say Trump and others promoted the multilevel marketing company called American Communications Network (ACN). That endorsement convinced the plaintiffs to invest hundreds of dollars in the business, which they never regained, the plaintiffs allege.
Read more:
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