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How big are Donald Trump's legal problems? How big are Donald Trump's legal problems?
(2 months later)
He has been out of power for more than a year-and-a-half, but legal issues related to his time in office still present some risk to former President Donald Trump. The legal battles before Donald Trump are expansive and varied.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) search of Mr Trump's Florida home in August has focused attention on his handling of official papers while president. The former president is under investigation for everything from his handling of top secret documents to the price tag placed on his New York penthouse, and facing numerous lawsuits as well.
Two criminal investigations are continuing: one into possible election interference and another into alleged financial crimes. But four high-profile investigations could have the biggest impact on Mr Trump - personally and politically.
Meanwhile, a political inquiry is considering recommending criminal charges over Mr Trump's role in the storming of Congress on 6 January 2021. All are ongoing and have not resulted in criminal charges.
As Mr Trump contemplates a 2024 presidential rerun, here are the legal cases which may threaten those ambitions. What's being investigated?
White House records The Department of Justice is looking into the removal of government documents from the White House, which were then taken to Mr Trump's Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, after he left office. Investigators are assessing how these documents were stored and who may have had access to them.
When Mr Trump left the White House, he took boxes of records with him to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. The former president's sprawling beachside property was searched in August and 11,000 documents were seized including around 100 marked as classified. Some of these were labelled top secret.
Under the Presidential Records Act, removing official records may constitute a criminal offence. Unsurprisingly, we know very little about what's in the documents at this stage. But classified material usually contains information that officials feel could damage national security if made public.
According to Mr Trump himself, "a large group of FBI agents" searched his residence on 8 August. What has Trump said?
His lawyer, Christina Bobb, told NBC News that some papers had been seized. However, the FBI and the justice department have not yet commented. He's denied wrongdoing and criticised the justice department's investigation, branding it "politically motivated" and a "witch-hunt".
In February, the National Archives said it had retrieved 15 boxes of papers from Mar-a-Lago, which Mr Trump should have turned over when he left the White House. He has offered shifting defences which have mostly hinged on the argument that he declassified the material. No evidence has yet been provided that this is true.
The agency later told Congress the boxes included "items marked as classified national security information". The former president has also argued that some of the documents are protected by "privilege" - a legal concept that would prevent them from being used in future proceedings. An independent lawyer is reviewing the seized material to determine if this is the case and that process continues.
But Mr Trump claimed the government "did not 'find' anything" and that Democrats were merely "in search of their next scam". But Mr Trump has not directly addressed the key question of why the documents were at Mar-a-Lago in the first place.
Keeping records enables presidents to be held accountable for their actions in office, says presidential historian Lindsay Chervinsky. So how serious is it?
But enforcing the Presidential Records act is "complicated", she says, because the law requires the "goodwill" of presidents to preserve their records. This is an active criminal investigation and could result in charges being filed.
Mr Trump's handling of records while president has come under scrutiny Among other statutes, the justice department believes Mr Trump may have violated the Espionage Act by keeping national security information that "could be used to the injury of the United States".
US Capitol riot And as well as charges relating to the classified documents themselves, prosecutors are also looking at obstruction of justice as another potential crime.
Mr Trump stands accused of inciting an "insurrection" when his supporters ransacked the Capitol building as members of Congress certified Joe Biden's election win on 6 January 2021. Mr Trump's team are now locked in a legal battle with the justice department over the investigation.
For weeks beforehand, he made unfounded claims of election fraud, which he repeated at a rally on the National Mall in Washington DC just before the riot. What's being investigated?
What happened on 6 January at the Capitol riot? Prosecutors in New York are examining the Trump Organization, the former president's family company. There are two investigations in New York - one civil and the other criminal.
Four things we've learned from Jan 6 hearings Letitia James, the New York attorney general, is leading the civil investigation (which cannot result in criminal charges) and has spent almost three years looking at whether the company committed various acts of fraud over several decades in the state.
Shortly afterwards, Mr Trump was acquitted in a political trial in the Republican-controlled Senate and his supporters declared victory. But that wasn't the end of it. These include allegedly overstating the value of real estate, such as golf courses and hotels, in order to get more favourable loans and better tax rates.
In July last year, Democratic and some Republican politicians formed a January 6th committee, which is examining Mr Trump's actions in detail. It has obtained thousands of communications made by and to the White House that day. The years-long criminal investigation, meanwhile, is being led by the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and is looking into the same issue as they relate to operations in New York City.
What has Trump said?
The former president and his lawyers have insisted the company did not operate illegally.
He's accused Ms James, a Democrat, of pursuing a political vendetta, citing remarks she made before she was elected attorney general in which she vowed to sue him and branded him an "illegitimate president".
Mr Trump, when called for an interview in the civil investigation, refused to answer questions and only confirmed his name.
So how serious is it?
Ms James filed a fraud lawsuit in September that it could - in theory - lead to the Trump Organization ceasing to exist in its current form.
Ms James said the former president, his three eldest children and two company executives committed numerous acts of fraud between 2011 and 2021.
The lawsuit alleges that the family inflated their net worth by billions, and is seeking $250m (£226m) that was allegedly obtained through fraudulent means. It's also seeking various penalties, such as bans on Mr Trump and his children from serving in a leadership role in any New York business.
The criminal investigation has been quieter so far. Ms James, however, has referred her findings to federal prosecutors which could lead to a new criminal investigation being opened.
What's being investigated?
Mr Trump's alleged role in the attack on the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, when a mob of his supporters stormed the building in an effort to stop the confirmation of President Joe Biden's election victory, is under scrutiny from several federal government bodies.
The most visible has been a Congressional committee that has been looking into Mr Trump's actions. They've been holding televised hearings laying out their case that his election fraud claims led directly to the riot.
More coverage
Florida files: Who is the special master reviewing them?
Mar-a-Lago search: Why did the FBI go inside?
Legal bills: Donors spending millions on Trump's battles
Fraud claims: Are Trump-owned properties over-valued?
Another is the justice department's criminal probe into 6 January and broader efforts to overturn the election - but this has largely been shrouded in secrecy. It's the largest police investigation in US history, but the extent to which Mr Trump is a target is unclear.
What has Trump said?
He's denied responsibility for the riot and criticised the Congressional committee, which he described as a "kangaroo court" and "unselect pseudo-committee".
He has continued to repeat his unsubstantiated allegations of widespread voter fraud.
So how serious is it?
The Congressional committee - made up of seven Democrats and two Republicans - does not have the power to prosecute, but it has voted to subpoena Mr Trump.
This means he is legally compelled to testify to Congress, but he's expected to defy the subpoena which will likely lead to a protracted legal battle.
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The debate that led to Donald Trump’s acquittal Watch the moment Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol building
The debate that led to Donald Trump’s acquittal Watch the moment Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol building
So far, the committee's public hearings have generated a stream of allegations, including testimony from Mr Trump's own aides and advisers that he knew claims of election fraud were untrue - and that steps he was taking to overturn the results were illegal. The committee is also weighing up whether to make a criminal referral recommending that the justice department charge Mr Trump. This doesn't mean much in practice - but it could increase the pressure on investigators.
Of course, there is one key difference between these hearings and a criminal trial - Mr Trump and his supporters have had no opportunity to offer their defence. The justice department's criminal probe has already led to hundreds of people who stormed the Capitol being charged.
While the committee has no legal powers to prosecute Mr Trump, it could choose to refer criminal charges to the US government's chief lawyer, Attorney General Merrick Garland. The former president has not been called for questioning in that inquiry, but it remains a possibility. He could also - in theory - be charged if investigators believe there is sufficient evidence of wrongdoing.
Possible charges include obstructing the vote count in Congress and conspiring to defraud the US by overturning the election results, which can both be punishable by fines or jail terms. What's being investigated?
However, no former president has ever been prosecuted. Further public hearings will be held in September as the investigation continues. Prosecutors in the state are looking into alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election result.
Election interference The criminal investigation was opened after the disclosure of an hour-long phone call between the former president and the state's top election official on 2 January 2021.
A few days before the storming of Congress, the top election official in the state of Georgia received an unusual phone call. "I just want to find 11,780 votes," Mr Trump said during the call to Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger - a reference to the number of ballots needed to give him victory in the swing state.
"I just want to find 11,780 votes," an agitated Mr Trump told Georgia's Republican Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger. What has Trump said?
The votes would have given Mr Trump victory in the key 2020 swing state. Alleging unsubstantiated electoral fraud, Mr Trump suggested such an outcome might be possible if Mr Raffensperger could "re-examine" the result. He's described the investigation - as he has many others - as a "witch hunt".
The 11,780 votes never materialised. "We believe our numbers are right," Mr Raffensperger said. Mr Trump has also attacked the legal official leading the inquiry - the chief prosecutor of Fulton County, Fani Willis - as a "young, ambitious, Radical Left Democrat... who is presiding over one of the most Crime Ridden and Corrupt places".
The chief prosecutor of Georgia's Fulton County, Fani Willis, launched an investigation into potential state election crimes, punishable by fines or imprisonment. So how serious is it?
Mr Trump views the case as a "witch hunt", but his call to Mr Raffensperger could be an "incriminating statement", said Barbara McQuade, a professor of law at the University of Michigan. "The allegations are very serious. If indicted and convicted, people are facing prison sentences," Ms Willis told the Washington Post last month.
Prosecutors would need to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Mr Trump knew his actions were fraudulent, though. She added that a decision on indictments was not imminent, but said Mr Trump could soon be called to give testimony.
This video can not be played It is not known whether the former president is being directly investigated, but some of his allies are known to be part of the inquiry. One target is his former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who led legal challenges to dispute the election result. Lawyers for Mr Giuliani have said he did not commit wrongdoing in the state.
To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. It's reported that investigators are examining potential criminal wrongdoing in calls made to Georgia officials, as well as alleged false statements made to politicians there.
Donald Trump: "I just want to find 11,780 votes" For a criminal conviction, however, prosecutors would ultimately need to prove beyond reasonable doubt that those involved knew their actions were fraudulent.
Donald Trump: "I just want to find 11,780 votes"
Financial affairs
Mr Trump also faces a range of tax and bank fraud allegations in New York that have been investigated at both the local and state levels.
The former president is expected to answer questions under oath as part of a civil investigation into his business practices being carried out by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Ms James has accused the Trump Organization of obtaining tax breaks and loans through "fraudulent or misleading asset valuations".
Mr Trump and the Trump Organization have denied any wrongdoing.
In a separate investigation, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance and his team also spent more than two years poring over Mr Trump's finances in search of possible crimes.
For prosecutors, getting their hands on Mr Trump's tax returns, and charging his company's chief financial officer with tax fraud, were two major breakthroughs.
Then in late 2021, Mr Vance left office and was replaced by fellow Democrat Alvin Bragg.
To take the case forward, the two prosecutors leading the investigation, Carey Dunne and Mark Pomerantz, tried to convince their new boss they had enough evidence to bring criminal charges.
While he initially disagreed - prompting the resignation of Mr Dunne and Mr Pomerantz - Mr Bragg vowed that the investigation would continue. He has said that he will publicly announce any charges once the investigation is over.
Sexual misconduct
"She's not my type," Mr Trump said in response to allegations he sexually assaulted a columnist in the 1990s. "It never happened, OK?"
That was back in 2019, days after E Jean Carroll made the allegations. She subsequently sued Mr Trump for calling her a liar.
The case has long been mired in legal quicksand, but a trial date has now been set for 6 February 2023 - unless there is an out-of-court settlement in the meantime.
E Jean Carroll has accused Mr Trump of raping her in the 1990s
That must be everything, right?
Not quite. A long list of other investigations and potential lawsuits includes:
• The Washington DC attorney general's criminal investigation into the 6 January attack. Last year, he said Mr Trump could possibly be charged for encouraging the violence but no action has been taken
• Various lawsuits by police officers who have accused Mr Trump of inciting the 6 January attack in which they suffered injuries
• A lawsuit by Mr Trump's niece, Mary Trump, who says her uncle and his siblings allegedly cheated her out of inheritance. Mr Trump has sought to dismiss the lawsuit, which was filed in a state court in New York City
• A lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court by Mr Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, who alleges his old boss sent him back to prison in retaliation for writing a tell-all memoir