The Three Other Trump Investigations

Donald Trump, the former US president, is facing mounting legal troubles as at least three investigations may bring more criminal charges against him in the coming months.

Federal officials are currently investigating Trump’s handling of classified documents and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, which culminated in the January 6th attack on the Capitol. Additionally, a grand jury in Georgia could charge Trump by September for his attempts to change the state’s election results. Prison time could be a potential consequence of any of these charges.

However, charges are not guaranteed as Alan Feuer, a journalist covering the federal inquiries, explains: “It is certainly possible that there will be more indictments, but it is also certainly possible that there aren’t.”

A trial or conviction may not stop Trump from running for president either. He may campaign from prison, as Eugene Debs did in 1920. Some legal experts believe he could even try to govern from prison, should he win the presidency.

Trump is already the first current or former US president to be charged with a crime. The Manhattan district attorney has accused him of an illegal scheme to cover up potential sex scandals in 2016. Last month, a jury also found him liable in a civil case for $5 million for sexual abuse and defamation.

This article highlights the three additional investigations to help readers prepare for potential news in the coming months.

Documents in Mar-a-Lago

The classified-documents case may come to a close soon. In August, an FBI search at Trump’s home in Florida uncovered over 100 classified documents that were supposed to remain in the government’s possession. The Justice Department is examining whether Trump hid these documents after being served with a subpoena ordering him to return them.

One piece of evidence, revealed this week, is a recording of Trump discussing a sensitive military document that he kept after leaving the White House and that he acknowledged was not previously declassified.

Although it is not uncommon for officials to misplace classified documents or keep them in their homes by accident, the issue in Trump’s case is his efforts to keep the documents after being asked to return them by federal officials. Those efforts may expose him to charges of obstruction of justice.

There are several reasons why prosecutors might not charge Trump in this case. Typically, the underlying offense, the mishandling of classified documents, is resolved without charges. Officials return the files and prosecutors move on. Additionally, any charges against Trump could lead to a backlash, and the Justice Department may deem the cost of prosecution too high.

The Jan. 6 attack

Federal prosecutors are conducting another investigation into Trump’s attempts to remain in power after he lost the 2020 presidential election. One aspect of the investigation may focus on whether Trump incited violence on January 6th. On social media and at his rallies, he falsely claimed he won the 2020 election and demanded state officials change results in his favor. Shortly before the violent attack on the Capitol on that day, Trump called for a “wild” protest. At a rally that morning, he directed the crowd to “fight like hell” and march on the Capitol. After they became violent, he waited hours before asking them to go home.

Prosecutors have also charged hundreds of other suspects in the attack and may feel compelled to charge the person they see as the chief inciter, but they face several challenges. Trump never explicitly ordered an attack, nor did he specifically instruct his supporters to storm the Capitol. He did eventually ask them to disperse.

Beyond Jan. 6, federal prosecutors could bring other charges related to Trump’s schemes to remain in the White House. As journalist Alan Feuer explains: “It is not only an enormous case to prove in terms of the number of witnesses and the complexities of gathering evidence — it is also legally very complicated.”

Georgia

The investigation in Georgia is on a clearer timeline. The Fulton County district attorney, Fani Willis, has stated that if a grand jury hands down charges, it will do so by September. A separate special grand jury has already recommended multiple indictments, but it cannot indict anyone.

In the Georgia case, prosecutors could argue that Trump and his team worked together to try to undermine the 2020 election results and committed multiple crimes along the way. The case could involve multiple defendants and focus on racketeering charges.

Willis has a big piece of evidence: an audio recording of Trump asking Georgia’s secretary of state to “find” almost 12,000 votes to flip the state’s tally in his favour. However,

Author: OpenAI