3 felony cases, 2 civil lawsuits, 2 federal indictments: What next in Trump’s legal issues?
As Trump’s legal troubles pile up, we'll be keeping track and keeping our readers informed
Former United States President Donald Trump is facing a swarm of federal and state charges against him while running for the U.S. Republican party nomination in the 2024 presidential campaign.
On Tuesday, Special Counsel Jack Smith dropped another indictment against Trump resulting from the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot investigation.
Overall, Trump has been indicted in two federal criminal cases and one in New York. Another indictment in the State of Georgia is looming.
ALL ISRAEL NEWS will be tracking the cases against America's 45th president.
Capitol riot investigation
Following the special counsel’s probe, Trump was indicted on federal felony charges for working to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in events leading up to the Capitol riot.
The four charges brought against him include conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights.
“Despite having lost, the Defendant was determined to remain in power,” read the 45-page indictment. “So for more than two months following election day on November 3, 2020, the Defendant spread lies that there had been outcome-determinative fraud in the election and that he had actually won.”
"These claims were false, and the Defendant knew that they were false," Special Counsel Smith alleged. "But the Defendant repeated and widely disseminated them anyway – to make his knowingly false claims appear legitimate, create an intense national atmosphere of mistrust and anger, and erode public faith in the administration of the election."
In reaction to the indictment, the Trump campaign stated: “The lawlessness of these persecutions of President Trump and his supporters is reminiscent of Nazi Germany in the 1930s, the former Soviet Union, and other authoritarian, dictatorial regimes.”
Classified documents case
This June, following Smith's indictment in the classified documents probe, marked the first time that a former U.S. president has ever faced federal criminal charges. Trump was arraigned in Miami, Florida on June 12, where he pleaded not guilty to 37 counts, including 31 of willfully retaining national defense information, a violation of the Espionage Act.
Federal prosecutors accused Trump of deliberately withholding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago Estate. Those documents, obtained during his presidency, consisted of intelligence regarding the “defense and weapons capabilities” of the United States and foreign countries, according to the 49-page indictment. Trump was also accused of trying to obstruct justice in his efforts to conceal those materials from authorities.
The indictment included photos showing dozens of boxes of presidential documents that Trump took with him when he left the White House in 2021.
Last week, the special counsel brought three additional charges in this case, alleging that two Trump aides – Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira – deleted security camera footage at the former president’s estate.
Nauta pleaded not guilty in June to a 38-count indictment that accused him of mishandling classified documents.
In response to the case, Trump posted on his social media platform Truth: "The corrupt Biden Administration has informed my attorneys that I have been Indicted, seemingly over the Boxes Hoax, even though Joe Biden has 1850 Boxes at the University of Delaware, additional Boxes in Chinatown, D.C., with even more Boxes at the University of Pennsylvania, and documents strewn all over his garage floor where he parks his Corvette, and which is 'secured' by only a garage door that is paper thin, and open much of the time."
Hush money payments
In late March, the former president was indicted by a grand jury in Manhattan, New York. The charges relate to hush-money payments that Trump made in 2016 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and to ex-Playboy model Karen McDougal.
Trump pleaded not guilty in April to 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal damaging information before the 2016 presidential election.
“The People of the State of New York allege that Donald J. Trump repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal crimes that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election,” said District Attorney Bragg.
Trump labeled the investigation a politically motivated "witch hunt.” He slammed the Manhattan DA, writing: “Alvin Bragg, who was hand-picked and funded by George Soros, is a disgrace. Rather than stopping the unprecedented crime wave taking over New York City, he’s doing Joe Biden’s dirty work, ignoring the murders and burglaries, and assaults he should be focused on. This is how Bragg spends his time!”
What’s next in Trump’s legal cases?
The 45th president is expected to appear in Washington's federal court for his arraignment in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capital riot case on Thursday, Aug. 3, at 4 p.m.
He might soon also be facing another felony indictment in the State of Georgia. Reports hinted that an indictment could be dropped before Aug. 18.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis began investigating Trump’s alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia more than two years ago. The investigation began after a recording was released of a January 2021 phone call Trump made to Georgia’s Republican secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger.
“All I want to do is this: I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,” Trump is heard saying in the leak. “Because we won the state.”
Trump is still fighting two other civil lawsuits. In New York, Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against the Trump Organization's executive team and three of Trump’s children for committing fraud. She is seeking $250 million in penalties and a ban on Trump from operating businesses in the State of New York.
In another civil case, writer E. Jean Carroll sued Trump for defamation and rape, alleging that he attacked her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s.
Despite amassing criminal accusations – or perhaps, thanks to them – Trump has seen his lead in the 2024 GOP race solidifying.
In a speech delivered at the Faith & Freedom Coalition Gala in Washington in late June, Trump, far ahead in the polls, urged Evangelicals to stick with him despite the indictment. Positioning himself as the defender of Judeo-Christian values and tradition, Trump told the audience, “No president ever fought for Christians as hard as I have.”
National primary polls reveal he is pulling more than 50% of his support from Republican voters, placing him 37% ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. No other Republican contender has reached 10%.
Tal Heinrich is a senior correspondent for both ALL ISRAEL NEWS and ALL ARAB NEWS. She is currently based in New York City. Tal also provides reports and analysis for Israeli Hebrew media Channel 14 News.
