No other former US president has been indicted in criminal cases. Donald Trump is in the middle of four such cases, and he has already been found guilty in one of them.
In May, a court in New York found Trump guilty of falsifying documents and violating the Accounting Act in connection with the payment of so-called hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels.
The penalty is up to four years in prison, and sentencing has been announced on 26 November.
Serious
Trump is also charged in three other and far more serious cases. One case concerns Trump’s alleged attempt to get election officials to overturn the results of the 2020 Georgia state election.
One case concerns Trump’s attempt to reject the election results that year, as well as the speech he gave before supporters stormed the congressional building on January 6, 2021.
Trump is also charged with violating the US Espionage Act after large amounts of classified documents were found at his home in Florida after he had moved out of the White House.
Trump denies criminal guilt in all the cases and claims that they are the result of political persecution on the part of the Democrats.
Will fire special investigator
In an interview in October, Trump made it clear that he will immediately fire special investigator Jack Smith after his inauguration. He leads the investigation into the cases concerning the Georgia election and the classified documents.
The Supreme Court has decided that the case surrounding the storming of the Congress building must be reviewed again, as US presidents have extensive immunity when it comes to actions committed in the course of their office.
– The American people have listened to the Democrats’ prosecutors and the cases they have filed against Donald Trump, but they are going to elect him anyway, Mike Davis said before the election results were clear. Davis is the founder of the conservative Article III Project.
Not the same control
Although Trump as president can fire Smith and put an end to the federal criminal cases, he does not have the same control over the bribery case in New York and the criminal case in Georgia.
However, no one believes that these cases will have legal consequences for him as long as he is US president.
– He was properly prosecuted for crimes according to the system we have, says Kristy Parker of the organization Protect Democracy.
If Trump makes sure that the cases are dropped, that does not mean that it was wrong to bring charges, she believes.
Asking for a new postponement
Trump’s lawyers will now probably ask that the sentencing in the bribery case in New York be postponed once again.
The United States has never before seen a president-elect receive a prison sentence before his inauguration, and legal experts expect another delay after Trump moves into the White House.
The sentencing was originally supposed to take place on 11 July, but has been postponed twice. Trump’s lawyers and the prosecutor’s office are arguing about whether Trump’s breach of the Accounting Act occurred in the course of office, which in that case opens the door for immunity.
Trump has made it clear that he will appeal the sentence, regardless of the sentence. His lawyers are also trying to get the case transferred to a federal appeals court, which could see it take another turn.
Trump is also charged with spreading false allegations of fraud during the 2020 election, and that case is being heard in federal court in Washington.
Legal tug of war
Smith has also taken out federal charges in the case of the classified documents, as well as Trump’s attempt to hide them when he had the FBI at his door in Florida.
Aileen Cannon, who was appointed as Florida attorney general by Trump, dismissed this case in July, arguing that Smith did not have the mandate to pursue it. The special investigator has appealed the ruling, and the legal tug-of-war continues.
Prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia, last year indicted Trump on charges of violating the Organized Crime Act in connection with his alleged attempt to pressure election officials to overturn the state’s 2020 election results.
Trump cannot put a stop to this case, which is being brought at the state level, but his lawyers have made it clear that they will ask for it to be put on hold for as long as Trump is president.
Hearing in December
Trump and 14 co-defendants in the case, including his former lawyer Rudy Giuliani and former chief of staff Mark Meadows, have asked a Georgia appeals court to fire the prosecutor in the case, Attorney General Fani Willis.
Willis has acknowledged that she had a relationship with Assistant Solicitor Nathan Wade, who has now resigned. A hearing in the appeal case is scheduled for 5 December.
Legal experts believe that this case will also be put on hold while Trump is president, even if the appeal is not accepted.
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Trump breaking news today
**Interview with Legal Expert Sarah Thompson on Trump’s Legal Troubles**
**Interviewer:** Welcome, Sarah. Thank you for joining us today. With former President Trump facing four criminal cases, can you provide some context on the significance of these indictments?
**Sarah Thompson:** Absolutely. Trump’s legal situation is unprecedented for a former U.S. president. No other president has faced criminal charges like this, which also includes him being found guilty in one case related to hush money payments. This fusion of politics and legal challenges is setting a new precedent in American history.
**Interviewer:** Trump has been found guilty of falsifying documents, with sentencing scheduled for later this month. What are the potential implications of this conviction?
**Sarah Thompson:** The potential penalty of up to four years in prison is serious, but what’s even more significant is the political fallout. If he were to serve a sentence, it would change the landscape of American politics. However, given his claims of political persecution, many of his supporters might rally around him even more.
**Interviewer:** There are three other serious cases against him, including charges related to the 2020 election and the storming of Congress on January 6. How do you expect these cases to proceed?
**Sarah Thompson:** These cases are legally complex and sensitive, particularly because they involve actions taken while he was in office. There’s considerable debate about presidential immunity, which could have a profound impact on how these cases unfold. The Supreme Court’s decision to review the congressional storming case emphasizes the legal intricacies involved.
**Interviewer:** If Trump wins the presidency again, he has indicated plans to fire special investigator Jack Smith. What would that mean for the ongoing investigations?
**Sarah Thompson:** It would certainly create a significant shift in how these investigations are managed. While he may not have direct control over the New York case, terminating the special investigator could delay or even halt the federal probes. However, any legal consequences from ongoing cases would likely linger outside of presidential actions.
**Interviewer:** Trump’s legal team may seek to postpone sentencing in the New York bribery case again. How common is it for legal proceedings to be delayed in high-profile cases like this?
**Sarah Thompson:** Delays are quite common, especially in complex cases involving public figures. The arguments surrounding executive actions and timing often lead to postponements. Legal strategy plays a critical role—not just for the defense but also for the prosecution, as both sides navigate the legal complexities.
**Interviewer:** with the possibility of Trump appealing any sentence, what do you see as the broader implications for the rule of law and accountability in the U.S.?
**Sarah Thompson:** This situation raises significant questions about accountability and the integrity of the legal system. Regardless of the outcome, it exemplifies the challenges our democracy faces when legal issues intertwine with political aspirations. Ultimately, how these cases resolve will have lasting implications for future leaders and their accountability under the law.
**Interviewer:** Thank you, Sarah, for your insights into such a complex and evolving situation. It’s certainly a pivotal moment for American democracy.
**Sarah Thompson:** Thank you for having me. It’s crucial that we continue to stay informed and engaged in these discussions.
