Trump cases 2024

In all, Trump faces 91 felony counts across two state courts and two different federal districts, any of which could potentially produce a prison sentence. 

New York State: Fraud

In the fall of 2022, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a civil suit against Trump, his adult sons, and his former aide Allen Weisselberg, alleging a years-long scheme in which Trump fraudulently reported the value of properties in order to either lower his tax bill or improve the terms of his loans, all with an eye toward inflating his net worth. He was found in February 2024  to have fraudulently inflated property values, and was ordered to pay a $464m penalty.  Trump has posted a $175m (£140m) bond in his New York civil fraud case, staving off asset seizures by the state. It could take months, or longer, for the business fraud case to be decided, in an appeal, raising the possibility the decision could come in the midst of his presidential campaign. 

Manhattan: Defamation and Sexual Assault

Although these other cases are all brought by government entities, Trump is also involved in an ongoing defamation case with the writer E. Jean Carroll, who said that Trump sexually assaulted her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s. When he denied it, she sued him for defamation and later added a battery claim. A jury awarded $83.3 million to E. Jean Carroll in January 2024  against former President Donald Trump for his continued social media attacks against the longtime advice columnist over her claims that he sexually assaulted her in a Manhattan department store. The award, coupled with a $5 million sexual assault and defamation verdict in 2023 from another jury in a case brought by Carroll, raised to $88.3 million what Trump must pay her. Protesting vigorously, he said he would appeal.

Manhattan: Hush Money

In March 2023, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg became the first prosecutor to bring felony charges against Trump, alleging that the former president falsified business records as part of a scheme to pay hush money to women who said they had had sexual relationships with Trump.The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office’s case argued that,  with Trump’s approval, his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 to stay silent about an alleged sexual encounter so as not to derail Trump’s 2016 campaign. Trump then approved a fraudulent scheme to disguise the reimbursement to Cohen as legal expenses to hide the hush money. In doing so, he ran afoul of election rules, prosecutors said, which amounted to “election fraud, pure and simple.” The prosecution then called 20 witnesses and offered scores of crucial documents, including cheques to Cohen bearing Trump’s signature.

In May 2024 Trump was found guilty on all charges and will now be sentenced.

Department of Justice: Mar-a-Lago Documents

Jack Smith, a special counsel in the U.S. Justice Department, has charged Trump with 37 felonies in connection with his removal of documents from the White House when he left office. The charges include willful retention of national-security information, obstruction of justice, withholding of documents, and false statements. Trump took boxes of documents to properties where they were stored haphazardly, but the indictment centers on his refusal to give them back to the government despite repeated requests. The case remains delayed.

Fulton County: Election Subversion

In Fulton County, Georgia, which includes most of Atlanta, District Attorney Fani Willis brought a huge racketeering case against Trump and 18 others, alleging a conspiracy that spread across weeks and states to steal the 2020 election. The case remains delayed.

The Supreme Court will decide if ex-President Donald Trump is immune from being prosecuted on charges of trying to overturn the 2020 election. The 6-3 conservative majority court said it will hear arguments in April. The Supreme Court taking the case is being seen as a victory for the former president as it increases the chances that his trial may not happen before November's presidential election. See ruling in Trump v USA

14th Amendment and insurrection. In more than 30 states, cases have been filed over whether Trump should be thrown off the 2024 ballot under a novel legal theory about the Fourteenth Amendment. 

Supreme Court to rule if Trump can run for president