Attention has been drawn to Mr. Trump’s handling of government materials while president following the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raid of his Florida property in August.
Two criminal investigations—one concerning alleged financial crimes and the other into potential electoral meddling—are still active.
Meanwhile, a political investigation is debating whether to recommend Mr. Trump be charged with a crime for his involvement in the seizure of Congress on January 6, 2021.
Here are the legal battles that may jeopardize Mr. Trump’s plans for a 2024 presidential reelection.
White House Statistics
Boxes of data were taken by Mr. Trump from the White House to his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago. Removing official records could be a crime under the Presidential Records Act.
On August 8, “a large number of FBI agents” reportedly searched Mr. Trump’s home, according to him. NBC News was informed by his attorney, Christina Bobb, that certain papers had been taken. The FBI and the justice department, meanwhile, are silent at this time.
The National Archives reported in February that it had taken 15 boxes of documents from Mar-a-Lago that Mr. Trump was supposed to turn up when he left the White House. Later, the agency informed Congress that “materials identified as sensitive national security information” were contained in the boxes.
The administration, according to Mr. Trump, “did not ‘discover’ anything,” and Democrats were only looking for “their next fraud,” he added.
According to presidential historian Lindsay Chervinsky, keeping records enables presidents to be held accountable for their deeds while in office.
However, she claims that it is “difficult” to enforce the Presidential Documents Act since it depends on presidents’ “goodwill” to keep their records safe.
Read More: Trending Hashtags on Tiktok: A Guide to Using Hashtags on Tik Tok Boosted
U.S. Capitol Riot
When his followers ransacked the Capitol building as members of Congress confirmed Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election on January 6, 2021, Mr. Trump is accused of encouraging an “insurrection.”
He had been making false allegations of election fraud for weeks before to the incident, which he reiterated at a protest on the National Mall in Washington, DC, right before it broke out.
Shortly after, Mr. Trump’s supporters proclaimed victory after he was exonerated in a political trial in the Republican-controlled Senate. However, it didn’t end there.
A January 6th committee was established in July of last year by Democratic and some Republican politicians, and it is currently delving deeply into Mr. Trump’s acts. Thousands of messages sent by and to the White House on that day were obtained by it.
The committee’s public hearings have so far produced a steady stream of accusations, including testimony from Mr. Trump’s own aides and advisers that he was aware that the claims of election fraud were false and that the actions he was taking to overturn the results were unlawful.
There is, of course, one significant distinction between these hearings and a criminal trial: Mr. Trump and his backers have not had the chance to present their defense.
The committee could decide to bring criminal charges to the US government’s top attorney, Merrick Garland, even though it lacks the legal authority to prosecute Mr. Trump.
Obstructing the vote count in Congress and planning to defraud the US by reversing the election results are two possible crimes that might result in penalties or jail time. However, no former head of state has ever faced charges. September will see more open forums as the probe progresses.
Read More: What Is Wrong with Wendy: The Evolution of Wendy Williams’ Health and Personal Issues
Election Meddling
The senior election official in the state of Georgia received an odd phone call a few days prior to the storming of Congress.
An irritated Donald Trump told Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State, “I just want to locate 11,780 votes.”
With the votes, Mr. Trump would have won the crucial swing state of 2020. Trump claimed there was unproven electoral fraud, and he stated that if Mr. Raffensperger could “re-examine” the results, such a conclusion might be feasible.
11,780 of the votes were never cast. We think our calculations are accurate, according to Mr. Raffensperger.
Fani Willis, the head prosecutor for Fulton County in Georgia, opened an investigation into possible state election offenses that could result in penalties or jail time.
Although Mr. Trump believes the investigation is a “witch hunt,” calling Mr. Raffensperger may have been “incriminating,” according to Barbara McQuade, a law expert at the University of Michigan.
But prosecutors would have to show beyond a shadow of a doubt that Mr. Trump was aware of the fraud behind his acts.
Read More: How Long Are Cannabis Seeds Good For Factors Affecting the Shelf Life of Weed Seeds
Financial Situation
Also under investigation at the local and state levels in New York are a number of tax and bank fraud claims against Mr. Trump.
As part of a civil inquiry into his business activities being conducted by New York Attorney General Letitia James, the former president is set to answer questions under oath.
The Trump Organization has allegedly used “fraudulent or deceptive asset appraisals” to secure tax benefits and loans, according to Ms. James.
The Trump Organization and Mr. Trump Have Denied Any Wrongdoing.
In a separate inquiry, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance and his colleagues also combed into Mr. Trump’s finances for more than two years in search of any criminal activity. Two significant victories for the prosecution were obtaining Mr. Trump’s tax returns and accusing the CFO of his business of tax fraud.
After that, Mr. Vance left office in late 2021, and Alvin Bragg, a fellow Democrat, took his position. Carey Dunne and Mark Pomerantz, the two prosecutors overseeing the inquiry, attempted to persuade their new boss that they had enough proof to file charges in order to move the case forward.
Despite his initial disagreement, which led to Mr. Dunne and Mr. Pomerantz’s resignation, Mr. Bragg promised that the probe would go forward. He has stated that after the inquiry is complete, he will publicly announce any charges.
Sexual Misbehaviour
In response to claims that he had sexually assaulted a columnist in the 1990s, Mr. Trump remarked, “She’s not my type. Okay, it never occurred. That happened in 2019, a few days following E Jean Carroll’s accusations. She later filed a lawsuit against Mr. Trump for branding her a liar.
Although the lawsuit has long been bogged down in a legal quagmire, a trial date has finally been scheduled for February 6, 2023, barring an interim out-of-court settlement.
