Donald Trump's criminal cases, in one place
Donald Trump is the first former president in US history to face criminal charges, and with his third presidential bid under way for 2024, the stakes are high for both him and the country.
Catch up on what you need to know about Trump’s four indictments, including key evidence, charges and what’s next in the legal process.
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Summary
Trump was first indicted in March 2023 by the Manhattan district attorney on state charges related to a hush-money payment to an adult-film star in 2016. Prosecutors allege Trump was a part of an illegal conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the 2016 election. Further, they allege he was part of an unlawful plan to suppress negative information, including the $130,000 payment. Trump has pleaded not guilty.
Charges
Key evidence
- A $130,000 payment made by Trump’s then-personal attorney Michael Cohen to Stormy Daniels in late October 2016.
Key people
People involved
- Michael Cohen
- Trump’s former personal attorney who says Trump directed him to pay hush money to Daniels in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump denies the allegations.
- Stormy Daniels
- Daniels is an adult film actor who has publicly alleged that she had sex with Trump in 2006 and was paid off to keep silent about the affair. Trump has denied the affair.
- David Pecker
- The former publisher of the National Enquirer allegedly helped broker the deal with Daniels and arranged to “catch and kill” a story about an affair between Trump and McDougal. Pecker has been granted immunity in the federal investigation in exchange for his testimony before a grand jury.
- Karen McDougal
- A model and actress who has said she had a monthslong affair with Trump in 2006 and was paid $150,000 to keep quiet about it by the National Enquirer. Trump has denied the affair. Prosecutors may use the payoffs as evidence that the schemes were aimed at protecting Trump's electoral chances.
Legal
- Juan Merchan
- New York Supreme Court Judge
- Alvin Bragg
- Manhattan district attorney
- Trump’s legal team
- Todd Blanche
Emil Bove
Susan Necheles
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Trump was indicted in June 2023 by a federal grand jury in Miami for taking classified national defense documents from the White House after he left office and resisting the government’s attempts to retrieve the materials. Both Trump and his aide Walt Nauta have pleaded not guilty.
On July 27, the special counsel charged Trump with three new counts, including one additional count of willful retention of national defense information. Nauta was also charged on two new counts. A third defendant, Carlos de Oliveira, was added to the case and charged with four counts, including being added to the obstruction conspiracy charged in the original indictment.
Charges
Use the arrows to see the full list of charges.
Key evidence
- Recording of Trump discussing holding secret documents he did not declassify
- About 100 classified documents found in a FBI search of Mar-a-Lago in August
- Surveillance footage turned over to the Justice Department that allegedly shows Nauta and De Oliveira moving document boxes around the resort
Key people
People involved
- Walt Nauta
- A Trump aide and co-defendant who faces eight charges, Nauta is accused of moving boxes filled with classified materials for Trump and helping him hide them. Nauta has entered a not guilty plea.
- Carlos De Oliveira
- De Oliveira was the maintenance worker who allegedly helped Nauta move boxes of classified documents around Mar-a-Lago after the Justice Department first subpoenaed Trump for classified documents in May 2022, CNN previously reported. He faces four charges and has pleaded not guilty.
Legal
- Aileen Cannon
- US District Court judge
- Jack Smith
- Special counsel
- Trump’s legal team
- Todd Blanche
Chris Kise
Lindsey Halligan
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Summary
Trump’s third indictment is a result of special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into alleged efforts by the former president and his allies to overturn the 2020 election. The indictment alleges Trump and a co-conspirator "attempted to exploit the violence and chaos at the Capitol by calling lawmakers to convince them ... to delay the certification" of the election. It also alleges another co-conspirator pushed then-Vice President Mike Pence to "violate the law" to delay President Joe Biden’s victory. The Trump campaign released a statement shortly after the indictment denying the allegations. Trump pleaded not guilty to all four counts.
On Feb. 6, a federal appeals court ruled that Trump is not immune from prosecution for alleged crimes he committed during his presidency to reverse the 2020 election results. The ruling is a major blow to Trump’s key defense thus far in the case.
The charging documents repeatedly reference six co-conspirators, but as is common practice, their identities are withheld because they have not been charged with any crimes. However, based on quotes in the indictment and other context, CNN can identify five of the six co-conspirators below.
Charges
Key evidence
- A January 2, 2021, phone call between then-President Donald Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, where Trump “lied” in an attempt “to induce him” to overturn the election and find the exact number of votes to flip his defeat in Georgia, prosecutors said in the indictment.
Key people
People involved
- Rudy Giuliani
- A former Trump lawyer and former mayor of New York City. The indictment quotes from a voicemail that Co-Conspirator 1 left “for a United States Senator” on January 6, 2021, which match quotes from Giuliani’s call intended for GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville, as reported by CNN and other outlets. Ted Goodman, a political adviser to Giuliani, said in a statement that “every fact Mayor Rudy Giuliani possesses about this case establishes the good faith basis President Donald Trump had for the actions he took.”
- John Eastman
- A former Trump lawyer. The indictment says Co-Conspirator 2 “circulated a two-page memorandum” with a plan for Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the 2020 election. Quotes from the memo match a two-page document that Eastman wrote, as reported and published by CNN. Charles Burnham, an attorney for Eastman, said the indictment “relies on a misleading presentation of the record,” and that his client would decline a plea deal if offered one.
- Sidney Powell
- A former Trump lawyer. The indictment says Co-Conspirator 3 “filed a lawsuit against the Governor of Georgia” on November 25, 2020, alleging “massive election fraud,” which match the federal lawsuit that Powell filed against Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. An attorney for Powell declined to comment.
- Jeffrey Clark
- A former Justice Department official. The indictment quotes an email that a top Justice Department official sent to Clark, rebutting Clark’s attempts to use the department to overturn the election as previously identified in a Senate report about how Trump tried to weaponize the Justice Department in 2020. CNN has reached out to an attorney for Clark.
- Kenneth Chesebro
- A pro-Trump lawyer. The indictment references an “email memorandum” that Co-Conspirator 5 “sent” to Co-Conspirator 1 on December 13, 2020, about the fake electors plot. The email matches an email that Chesebro sent to Giuliani, according to a copy made public by the House select committee that investigated January 6. CNN has reached out to an attorney for Chesebro.
- Co-Conspirator 6
- The indictment says they are “a political consultant who helped implement a plan to submit fraudulent slates of presidential electors to obstruct the certification proceeding.” The indictment also further ties this person to the fake elector slate in Pennsylvania.
Legal
- Tanya S. Chutkan
- US District Court judge
- Jack Smith
- Special counsel
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Summary
An Atlanta-based grand jury on August 14, 2023, indicted Trump and 18 others on state charges stemming from their alleged efforts to overturn the former president’s 2020 electoral defeat. Four people have pleaded guilty.
The historic indictment is the fourth criminal case that Trump is facing. The charges, brought in a sweeping investigation led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, cover some of the most overt efforts by the former president and his allies to meddle in the 2020 presidential election. Unlike the election subversion charges brought by special counsel Jack Smith, Willis’ case will be insulated if Trump is reelected in 2024; he will not be able to pardon himself or his allies of any state law convictions, nor will he be able to order the state-level prosecutors to withdraw the charges. Trump pleaded not guilty via court filing, waiving an in-court appearance as allowed by Georgia law.
On March 13, 2024, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee dismissed six of the 41 counts from the indictment, including three that applied to Trump. The partial dismissal does not mean that the entire indictment has been dismissed. McAfee’s partial dismissal left most of the sprawling racketeering indictment intact.
Charges
Use the arrows to see the full list of charges.
Key evidence
- The indictment document includes Trump’s notorious phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger when he asked Raffensperger to “find” the votes he needed to win the state, the fake elector scheme and a September 2021 letter he sent to Raffensperger again urging him to decertify the state’s 2020 vote.
- CNN has previously reported that surveillance video, text messages and other communications unearthed during a civil case provided essential evidence for prosecutors investigating efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia.
Key people
People involved
- Testing
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Legal
- Scott McAfee
- Fulton County Superior Court judge
- Fani Willis
- Fulton County District Attorney
- Trump’s legal team
- Steven Sadow
Todd Blanche
Jennifer Little