Editor’s Note: This story includes mention of sexual assault. Resources are available here.
Former President Donald Trump – who official launched his bid for the 2024 presidency in November 2022 – has garnered national attention for a range of criminal charges and civil lawsuits against him since the beginning of 2023.
Trump is currently facing 78 criminal charges – to all of which he has plead not guilty – in connection to three criminal investigations. Trump faces 40 charges in a case regarding his involvement in allegedly storing and withholding classified documents at his Florida residence and 34 charges in connection to his alleged hush money payments to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016. Trump also faces four federal criminal charges in connection to his involvement in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 2021.
Trump indicated he would face more criminal charges this year, announcing on social media platform Truth Social in July he received a letter saying he is “a target” of the Department of Justice’s investigation into the 2021 siege on the U.S. Capitol.
In addition to these ongoing criminal investigations, Trump also faces two civil lawsuits.
Here is a breakdown of Trump’s criminal and civil cases:
Trump’s involvement in efforts to overturn 2020 election results
On July 18, Trump said he received a letter identifying him as the target of a grand jury investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, including the deadly siege of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He said the letter meant he would likely be indicted.
Trump is facing four federal charges in this investigation including conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights, according to the 45-page indictment filed on Aug. 1.
In December 2022, the congressional Jan. 6 committee referred Trump to the DOJ for four charges: obstruction of an official proceedings, conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to make a false statement and conspiracy to defraud the U.S. by assisting, aiding or comforting those involved in an insurrection. However, the congressional committee does not have any power over what action the DOJ takes.
According to the indictment, the charges focus on Trump and his political allies’ attempts to not certify the 2020 election results, citing that Trump pushed election officials in certain states to ignore the popular vote, dismiss electors and disenfranchise voters. The indictment also anonymously lists six co-conspirators; however, Trump is the only person charged in this indictment.
Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges on Aug. 3, and the case has now moved to the pretrial phase. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Aug. 28, according to The New York Times.
State investigation into alleged efforts to overturn Georgia 2020 election results
Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis launched a criminal probe into the former president’s attempts to overturn the state’s election results in February 2021. Willis began investigating Trump after Georgia Public Broadcasting obtained and published a phone call where Trump appeared to pressure Republican Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to overturn the state’s presidential election results.
In a letter sent to state officials in February 2021, Willis said she would investigate potential violations of Georgia election law such as making false statements to governmental bodies, conspiracy, racketeering, violating oaths of offices and “any involvement in violence or threats related to the election’s administration.”
According to NPR, Willis suggested she will ask the grand jury investigating Trump’s involvement for indictments this summer. NPR also reported Willis has told local law enforcement to prepare for the public’s reaction.
Trump has not yet faced any charges in connection to this criminal case.
Trump allegedly withheld and stored classified documents at Mar-a-Lago residence
In June, Trump plead not guilty to all 37 federal criminal charges for allegedly storing more than 100 classified documents in his Mar-a-Lago residence and withholding those documents from the FBI and National Archives.
Federal prosecutors, including special counsel Jack Smith who is leading the investigation into Trump’s involvement in the Jan. 6 riot, believe Trump had direct involvement in packing these documents after he lost re-election in 2021.
[Related: Trump pleads not guilty in federal document prosecution]
Investigators also say Trump bragged about having these classified documents and pressured his attorney to mislead the FBI about the contents of these documents. CNN reported in June that federal prosecutors obtained an audio recording of the former president acknowledging he kept a classified Pentagon document about a possible attack on Iran during a summer 2021 meeting – after he left office. This meeting was held with two people – who did not have security clearances to access the classified documents – working on an autobiography for former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. Trump aides, including communications specialist Margo Martin, were also present at the meeting, according to CNN.
Trump announced June 8 he had been indicted in the case and was arraigned to a federal courthouse in Miami on June 13. Trump’s trial will begin on May 20, 2024. Trump aide Walt Nauta was also indicted in this case but pleaded not guilty to charges against him.
Alleged hush money payments to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels
In March, a grand jury indicted Trump on 34 criminal counts of business record falsification in connection to his alleged hush money payments to cover up an alleged affair with Daniels – whose real name is Stephanie Clifford – before the 2016 election. Trump pleaded not guilty to all 34 charges.
After Trump launched his presidential campaign, Daniels offered to sell her story that she had an affair with Trump in 2006 to magazines. “National Enquirer” executives informed Trump attorney Michael Cohen of Daniels efforts to sell the story.
Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 to not share her story about the affair – which she received two weeks before the 2016 presidential election. Trump reimbursed Cohen $420,000 after he was elected president. Trump Organization executives falsely categorized this reimbursement as a retainer for legal services.
While Trump has admitted to reimbursing Cohen, he denies ever having an affair with Daniels.
A trial date for this case is set for March 25, 2024.
Writer E. Jean Carroll filed lawsuit against Trump for defamation
Following the conclusion of a trial this spring where a jury ruled Trump was liable for sexual assault and defamation against writer E. Jean Carrol, a federal judge allowed Caroll to amend her original defamation lawsuit against Trump in May. A second defamation trial against Trump will begin in federal court Jan. 15, 2024.
In 2019, Carroll accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a dressing room in the 1990s – after which Trump accused her of lying. Carroll sued Trump for defamation and damages over the assault. The jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages in May and ruled Trump was liable for the sexual assault and defamation. Federal Judge Lewis A. Kaplan denied Trump’s motion for a new trial on July 19.
[Related: E. Jean Carroll wins $5 million in defamation case against Donald Trump]
Carroll is amending her original defamation civil lawsuit against Trump to include claims he made about her at a town hall hosted by CNN in May after the jury verdict. At the town hall, Trump said he had never met Carroll – although a photo of the two together has been released – and called Carroll “a wack job.”
In June, Trump filed a counterclaim against Carroll for defamation. However, a federal judge dismissed this countersuit on Aug. 7.
New York Attorney General civil lawsuit claims Trump committed fraud
New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a civil lawsuit against Trump, three of his children and Trump Organization executives in September 2022. In the lawsuit, James claims Trump misrepresented his net worth and the value of several properties to deceive banks and financial lenders.
In the lawsuit, the attorney general is seeking to ban Trump, organization executives and Trump’s children from certain business operations in New York state. She is also seeking around $250 million in penalties.
James filed the lawsuit after a three-year investigation into Trump’s business practices
A trial for this case has been scheduled for Oct. 2, 2023.
UPDATE: This story has been updated to reflect new federal charges against Trump in connection to his alleged efforts to overturn to 2020 presidential election results, as well as the trial status of this case. This story has also been updated to reflect a federal judge dismissed Trump’s countersuit against E. Jean Carroll.
