The Many Indictments of Donald Trump
If you have turned on the TV, been on your phone, or just stepped out in public this year, you have absolutely heard Donald Trump’s name in passing—and probably not for anything good.
As of right now, the former President of the United States faces 91 felony counts in four different states. Four of these criminal charges are in Washington, D.C., thirteen are in Georgia, thirty-four are in New York, and a whopping forty felony charges are in the state of Florida.
But what are these charges and why do they matter?
Throughout the entire history of the U.S., no former president—or presidential candidate—has ever been indicted on felony charges. However, if you are not up to date with the law, you probably have no idea what any of Trump’s charges include or why they would be a big deal for a figurehead of the country.
Through all 91 charges, many of the offenses are similar, including various counts of conspiracy, false statements, solicitation, and willful retention.
In the following article, we dive into the criminality of Donald Trump, what each charge means, and his candidacy status in 2024.
Conspiracy
According to the Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law, a conspiracy is “an agreement between two or more people to commit an illegal act, along with an intent to achieve the agreement's goal.”
Donald Trump has nine counts of conspiracy for various reasons, including conspiracy to commit forgery, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and conspiracy to commit false statements and file false documents.
False Statements
False Statements, on the other hand, cover all members of the U.S. government who, “falsifies, conceals, or covers up a material fact; makes any fraudulent statement or representation; or makes or uses any false document to contain materially false statements.”
Trump has six charges of false statements or conspiracy to commit false statements.
Solicitation
Solicitation is “offering money to someone with the specific intent of inducing that person to commit a crime.
In Georgia, Donald Trump has three counts of solicitation for paying a public officer to violate their legal oath.
Willful Retention
18 U.S. Code § 793 details the willful retention of national defense information. This includes the “gathering, transmitting, or losing of defense information.”
Donald Trump has 32 counts of willful retention in Florida for allegedly hoarding government documents in his Mar-a-Lago home.
While Trump has been indicted on various other criminal charges, the previously stated hold the most weight in court. However, if convicted of these crimes, Trump can and will still run for president in 2024.
While the constitution states citizens cannot vote if they hold any felony charges, the same does not apply to a presidential seat. Nevertheless, with enough pressure from the Republican Party, there is still a chance that a different candidate will be pushed into the first position to run.
What do you think of Trump’s charges and possible candidacy? Leave a comment below.