A Guide to Donald Trump’s Four Criminal Cases

By Gareth Evans
in Washington

April 29, 2022

Updated 8 hours ago

Republican Donald Trump is headed toward a rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden in November. How could his criminal trials impact his reelection campaign?

The 78-year-old is the first former president in US history to be convicted of falsifying business records.

Weeks later, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled he was entitled to partial immunity in what is arguably the most serious case he has faced: an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

So what could happen in his four criminal cases, and what are the stakes as he seeks to return to the White House?

Did Trump illegally collude to reverse his 2020 election defeat to Joe Biden?

Federal prosecutors say he pressured officials to overturn the election results, knowingly spread lies about voter fraud and tried to exploit the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol to delay the certification of Biden’s victory and stay in power.

He was charged with four criminal charges, including conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to violate civil rights.

Some speculated that he would be charged with participating in or aiding the uprising, but that was not one of the charges.

He denied all allegations and said the Biden administration was behind the accusation.

Subtitles for the movie, Watch the Moment Trump Supporters Storm the US Capitol Building

It doesn’t look like this will happen any time soon.

Trump appealed the case, arguing that as president he had broad immunity from prosecution because of a 1982 precedent that recognized immunity in civil cases.

Lower courts rejected Trump’s claim, but the Supreme Court ruled that Trump has limited immunity for official acts he performed as president.

A lower district court will now decide which of the charges in the federal indictment against Trump can be considered official and which cannot.

There is a high probability that some of the cargo will not survive.

If Trump wins the election, he could theoretically pardon himself or order all charges dismissed.

Could Trump go to jail?

Penalties for these charges include:

Conspiracy to defraud the United States is punishable by a fine or up to five years in prison.
Obstructing official proceedings is punishable by a fine or up to 20 years in prison.
Conspiracy against the laws is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to 10 years, or both.

But there are logistical, security and political questions about whether Trump would actually go to jail even if convicted.

A guilty verdict at trial would take the United States into uncharted territory.

Payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election

Ms Daniels was paid $130,000 (£103,000) to keep quiet about the claim she had sex with Trump, which Trump denies.

Giving so-called bribes is not illegal.

Instead, this case was more technical in nature, focusing on how a former Trump lawyer who paid Ms. Daniels recorded his fee as legal fees in Trump’s accounts.

A key prosecution witness was former lawyer Michael Cohen, who testified that his former boss knew about an elaborate scheme to conceal the payments.

During heated cross-examination, Trump’s lawyers sought to undermine Cohen’s authority and portray him as an unreliable witness and a convicted liar.

The jury deliberated for two days before finding the former president guilty of all 34 counts of fraud under campaign finance laws.

Trump said the case was politically motivated.

According to a letter obtained by American media, including BBC affiliate CBS News, his lawyers are seeking to overturn the verdict, citing the Supreme Court ruling on immunity.

Could Trump go to jail?

Each charge carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison, but a judge could sentence Trump to probation later this month.

Legal experts told the BBC they believed it was unlikely Trump would face prison time, with a fine appearing more likely.

Trump and about 18 other defendants are charged with conspiring to reverse his narrow 2020 election defeat in Georgia.

The extortion investigation, led by Georgia U.S. Attorney Fanny Willis, was sparked in part by a leaked phone call in which the former president asked the state’s top elections official to “find 11,780 votes.”

Trump faced 13 criminal charges, but those were later reduced to 10. They included one alleged violation of Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).

The former president pleaded not guilty.

No date has been set. The timeline has been complicated by efforts by Trump and his allies to disqualify Ms. Willis because of her romantic relationship with a man she hired to work on the case.

The appeals court has tentatively set October 4 for hearing oral arguments on Ms Willis’ removal.

Could Trump go to jail?

The extortion charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

To secure a conviction, Georgia prosecutors would have to prove that Trump and his co-defendants engaged in a corrupt scheme to overturn the election results.

The penalty for making false declarations is one to five years in prison or a fine.

Whether Trump mishandled secret documents by taking them from the White House to his Mar-a-Lago residence after leaving office.

It also concerns whether he hindered the FBI in recovering the files and whether he launched an investigation into his use of them.

Most of the charges involve intentionally keeping information sensitive to national defense, which is covered by the Espionage Act.

Then there are eight individual charges, which include conspiracy to obstruct justice, concealing a document or record and making false statements. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The judge overseeing the case canceled the trial date, originally set for May 20, and did not immediately set a new one.

She cited several pre-trial motions that were still pending as the reason for the delay, calling it “imprudent” to start proceedings without resolving various legal issues.

Trump and his lawyers want to delay the trial until after the November presidential election, which means the judge’s delay benefits them.

Could Trump go to jail?

Theoretically, if Trump is convicted, the charges could result in a lengthy prison sentence.

By law, the Espionage Act charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The other charges, related to conspiracy and concealing documents, carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

However, the logistics of imprisoning the former president make many experts believe a conventional prison sentence is unlikely.