Trump faces 4 investigations. Heres where they stand – PBS NewsHour
Evelyn Knapp walks past a flag featuring former President Donald Trump that supporters are flying near his Mar-a-Lago home on March 20, 2023, in Palm Beach, Florida. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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Former President Donald Trump has predicted he will be arrested this week, on charges related to a hush money payment aimed at covering up an alleged affair. A Manhattan grand jury is expected to issue an indictment soon, according to multiple reports.
But that is just one in a small constellation of investigations circling him. Here's a look at the government probes into Trump.
There are four known government-run investigations into Trump or his business. Let's first look at them in terms of location and prosecutorial scale, from national to local.
Trump has repeatedly and vociferously denied wrongdoing in all of these cases. He has alleged prosecutors have open political bias against him, and that he is being targeted by left-leaning officials.
Now, a little about each one, in order of when we expect to hear about charging decisions or next steps.
What is this case about? Hush money and potential accounting and campaign finance violations. This surrounds a 2016 payment of $130,000 to Clifford. The grand jury is scrutinizing the money that was paid to gain her silence about an affair she said she had with Trump in 2006 and 2007. Trump's response to the case has varied. Trump has acknowledged he was aware of the payment, but he and his spokespeople contend he did not understand its full nature.
Who is the prosecutor? The Manhattan district attorney is Alvin Bragg. He was elected to that job last November.
What are possible charges?
Isn't there a statute of limitations involved here? Yes. The accounting fraud charge has a two-year statute of limitation as a misdemeanor and five years as a felony. BUT, New York law extends that timing if a defendant has lived for a significant time out of the state. As president, Trump lived and worked in the White House and his Florida home. If these charges appear, expect this to be a point of contention.
When might we hear? News of a possible indictment is expected any day now. The grand jury in the case will next meet Wednesday.
What is this case about? Whether Trump interfered with, including if he tried to overturn, the 2020 election results in Georgia. This case includes the January 2021 call from Trump to Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which Trump repeatedly said he needed 11,000 more votes.
Why Fulton County? The county contains Atlanta, the state capital. It also is the most populous county in Georgia. In addition, it has a prosecutor who wanted to launch the case.
Who is the prosecutor? Fulton County's district attorney is Fani Willis. She took office in January 2021. Willis called a "special purpose grand jury" to review evidence and make recommendations in this case.
What are possible charges? There is a wide range of potential charges here, and some may not be clear yet. A member of the grand jury convened for this case told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that the group recommended multiple indictments.
They could include:
When might we hear? Soon. Willis said in January that decisions are "imminent." On Monday, Trump's attorneys filed a motion to keep the final grand jury report secret and remove the district attorney's office from the case. Some see that as indication that he too expects news from the DA soon.
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What is this case about? Whether Trump and others involved in the Trump Organization committed fraud by inflating values of some assets, including properties, to get loans and other business benefits.
This is not a criminal case. Instead, this is a civil lawsuit filed by the state attorney general. She does not have the ability to file criminal charges, though she has referred the case to the Manhattan district attorney for that possibility.
Who is the attorney general involved? New York's attorney general is Letitia James. She was first elected in 2018.
What are the possible consequences? Again, the New York attorney general's lawsuit is not a criminal case and thus there are no charges involved. But there are serious stakes for Trump and some family members.
When could we hear? This case is set to go to trial in October.
A view of former U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort. Photo by Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters
What is this case about? This is a set of two investigations connected to Trump, overseen by a single, independent prosecutor at the Department of Justice. The order establishing the special counsel lays out two areas:
Who is the prosecutor? The special counsel is Jack Smith, who formerly served as the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in the Hague. Previous to that, he oversaw the public integrity unit at the DOJ.
What are the possible charges? The spectrum of charges is large and much is unknown about how the special counsel is proceeding. But we have some outside guidance.
First, the House Select Committee to Investigate January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol recommended four charges against Trump to the DOJ in its final report.
Multiple outlets report that the special counsel also is looking into the Save America PAC, through which Trump raised millions of dollars after the election with his false 2020 claims. Specific possible charges, based on previous cases about fraudulent PACs, include:
Regarding the classified documents, some possible charges are indicated in the FBI's search warrant of Mar-a-Lago:
Note: A separate special counsel is overseeing an investigation into possible mishandling of classified documents by President Joe Biden.
When could we hear? It is unclear. Special Counsel Smith, appointed in November, is overseeing a massive probe here. His appointment does not have an end date.
But the directive establishing his investigation also notes that Trump is a current candidate for president, leading to speculation that Smith may want to complete what he can before that election cycle moves too far, including before 2024 arrives.
CNN reported in December that he was moving "fast."
Let's recap:
The rest is here:
Trump faces 4 investigations. Heres where they stand - PBS NewsHour
- Donald Trump reveals exclusively to The Post what he and Biden spoke about at DC meeting - New York Post - November 14th, 2024 [November 14th, 2024]
- Republicans win 218 US House seats, giving Donald Trump and the party control of government - The Associated Press - November 14th, 2024 [November 14th, 2024]
- Donald Trump Tells House Republicans He Won't Seek a Third Term Unless They 'Figure' Out a Way to Allow It - PEOPLE - November 14th, 2024 [November 14th, 2024]
- Tesla is not the only winner under Donald Trump - The Economist - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- Donald Trump Jr. Opts Out of White House to Join 1789 Capital - Bloomberg - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- Opinion | Americans ordered up Donald Trump. The world will foot the bill. - The Washington Post - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- Opinion: Reflections from across The Pond on Donald Trump's re-election - Palm Beach Post - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- How could Donald Trump target the LGBTQ+ community? Project 2025 is a ready blueprint for discrimination - The Conversation - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- Donald Trump has sweeping plans for a second administration. Heres what hes proposed - The Associated Press - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- UK minister grilled over tweet branding Donald Trump a self-confessed groper - POLITICO Europe - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- South Korean president practising golf to prepare for future meetings with Donald Trump - The Guardian - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- Kamala Harris and Donald Trump hold dueling rallies in swing-state Michigan as it happened - The Guardian US - October 18th, 2024 [October 18th, 2024]
- I visited a small, struggling, climate-ravaged town in Louisiana. Why is Donald Trump certain to win here? - The Guardian US - October 18th, 2024 [October 18th, 2024]
- Donald Trump, Not at All Worried About Losing the Election, Demands Kamala Harris Be Forced Off the Campaign - Vanity Fair - October 18th, 2024 [October 18th, 2024]
- Donald Trump Just Insulted Every Autoworker in Michigan - The Nation - October 18th, 2024 [October 18th, 2024]
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- Donald Trump Says Hell Ask Rupert Murdoch to Direct Fox News to Halt Negative Ads Against Him - Hollywood Reporter - October 18th, 2024 [October 18th, 2024]
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- Donald Trump Exhausted and Refusing Interviews: Report - The Daily Beast - October 18th, 2024 [October 18th, 2024]
- Donald Trump Shares Candid Thoughts on Harvey Weinstein: 'He Got Schlonged' - Newsweek - October 18th, 2024 [October 18th, 2024]
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- A failed mic leaves Donald Trump pacing the stage in silence for nearly 20 minutes - Yahoo! Voices - October 18th, 2024 [October 18th, 2024]
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- That Sure Is One Way to Convince Young Men Not to Vote for Donald Trump - Slate - October 12th, 2024 [October 12th, 2024]
- The View co-hosts come out swinging at Donald Trump a day after he insulted them - The Associated Press - October 12th, 2024 [October 12th, 2024]
- Opinion | Yes, this is what Donald Trump really sounds like. No, you cannot ignore it. - The Washington Post - October 12th, 2024 [October 12th, 2024]
- Donald Trump Bemoans His Team Using Wrong Picture at Rally: 'So Stupid' - Newsweek - October 7th, 2024 [October 7th, 2024]
- Disaster politics: Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are the latest to deal with fallout - USA TODAY - October 7th, 2024 [October 7th, 2024]
- Donald Trump makes a theatrical return to Butler, scene of assassination attempt - The Guardian US - October 7th, 2024 [October 7th, 2024]
- Opinion | JD Vance Is Smoother but No Better Than Donald Trump - The New York Times - October 7th, 2024 [October 7th, 2024]
- Mike Johnson refuses to say Donald Trump lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden - USA TODAY - October 7th, 2024 [October 7th, 2024]
- Melania Trump says Donald Trump 'knew my position and my beliefs' on abortion 'since the day we met' - NBC News - October 7th, 2024 [October 7th, 2024]
- How Donald Trump Jr. Became the Crown Prince of MAGA World - The Wall Street Journal - October 7th, 2024 [October 7th, 2024]
- Donald Trump in Bulter: Time stood still at site of assassination attempt, he says - BBC.com - October 7th, 2024 [October 7th, 2024]
- Noticias Univision Townhall with Former President Donald Trump Moved to Wednesday, Oct. 16 Due to Hurricane Milton - Univision Communications - October 7th, 2024 [October 7th, 2024]
- Donald Trump returns to scene of rally shooting in Butler - BBC.com - October 7th, 2024 [October 7th, 2024]
- Joe: Vance clearly said he was going to continue the lies of Donald Trump - MSNBC - October 3rd, 2024 [October 3rd, 2024]
- JD Vance again refuses to say Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election - The Associated Press - October 3rd, 2024 [October 3rd, 2024]
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- Make Them Riot: Newly Unsealed Filing Gives New Details Of Federal Election Conspiracy Case Against Donald Trump - Deadline - October 3rd, 2024 [October 3rd, 2024]
- Donald Trump Gets October Boost as Flurry of Polls Give Him the Edge - Newsweek - October 3rd, 2024 [October 3rd, 2024]
- Opinion | The Dangers of Donald Trump, From Those Who Know Him - The New York Times - September 26th, 2024 [September 26th, 2024]
- Donald Trump says he will protect women. Many dont see it that way. - The Washington Post - September 26th, 2024 [September 26th, 2024]
- Donald Trump Surges in Top Election Forecast - Newsweek - September 26th, 2024 [September 26th, 2024]
- Opinion | Why Do People Like Elon Musk Love Donald Trump? Its Not Just About Money. - The New York Times - September 26th, 2024 [September 26th, 2024]
- Donald Trump Is Quitting Golf on His Own Courses - The Daily Beast - September 26th, 2024 [September 26th, 2024]
- Donald Trump briefed on suspected Iranian assassination plot - The Guardian US - September 26th, 2024 [September 26th, 2024]
- Donald Trump Ignores the Elephant in the Room at North Carolina Rally - Newsweek - September 26th, 2024 [September 26th, 2024]
- Donald Trump is coming to the Alabama-Georgia game. Heres his unusual food request - AL.com - September 26th, 2024 [September 26th, 2024]
- The Republican Party is less white than ever. Thank Donald Trump. - Vox.com - September 26th, 2024 [September 26th, 2024]
- Donald Trump: Project 2025 Will Lay Groundwork for Second Term - The Daily Beast - September 22nd, 2024 [September 22nd, 2024]
- Donald Trump says hes unlikely to run for president in 2028 if he loses in November - New York Post - September 22nd, 2024 [September 22nd, 2024]
- Mike Johnson Delivers Bad News to Donald Trump on Government Shutdown - Newsweek - September 22nd, 2024 [September 22nd, 2024]
- Mark Cuban Confronts Donald Trump Allies With Flurry of Posts - Newsweek - September 22nd, 2024 [September 22nd, 2024]
- Stephen King Using Republican's Words Against Donald Trump Takes Off Online - Newsweek - September 22nd, 2024 [September 22nd, 2024]
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- That Will Be It: Donald Trump Says He Wont Run In 2028 If He Loses In 2024 - Deadline - September 22nd, 2024 [September 22nd, 2024]
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- Donald Trump Buys Fans Burgers and Pays With Bitcoin at New York Bar - Bloomberg - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
- Donald Trump 'They're Eating the Dogs' Song Takes Off Online - Newsweek - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
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- Kamala Harris' and Donald Trump's Biggest Problems Are Growing - Newsweek - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
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- What the debate revealed about Donald Trump - The Hill - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
- Are Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle done? If so, this weekend may get awkward - Miami Herald - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
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