Everything You Need to Know About the Trump Indictments (And What Happens Next)

Donald Trump made history as the first former president to be indicted. 

And then he did it again. 

And again. 

And again. 

The 45th President is alleged to have committed a lot of crimes before, during, and after his time in office, and untangling the web of charges he and his accomplices are facing is a daunting task for anyone. 

These indictments are separate from the civil penalties Trump has faced after many years of lawsuits, in which he’s been found liable for rape, fraud, and a host of other offenses. Here, we break down the four indictments and 91 charges Donald Trump is facing across four jurisdictions. 

Quick note: Indivisible groups have been here since day 1 of the Trump presidency fighting for accountability and justice. These indictments aren’t just the inevitable outcome of government processes—they’re the result of people all across the country refusing to concede to Trump’s corruption and the political cowardice of his allies in Congress. While the outcome is now in the hands of courts and juries, we should never forget what it took to get here, and what it will take to ensure a Trumpist presidency never happens again. Want to be a part of it? Find your local group and get involved.

New York — The Hush Money Case

Falsification of Records

The first of Trump’s indictments is focused on his actions prior to his election in 2016, namely, his alleged arrangement of hush money paid to Stormy Daniels. This indictment carried 34 felony charges mainly focused on falsification of business records and campaign finance violations. 

As you might recall, the scandal in question surfaced in 2018, when Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen claimed that he arranged the payment to Daniels to ensure that she wouldn’t leak news of an affair between her and Trump before the 2016 election. That payment of $130,000 was repaid to Cohen from the Trump Organization as “legal fees,” which triggered the falsified records charge. And because this was done to help Trump win, the payments violated campaign finance law—a charge to which Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018.

Although the case stalled while Trump was a sitting president, New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg advanced it after he left office and ultimately filed 34 felony counts in April 2023. Why is falsifying business records a felony? Because, in this case, Trump is alleged to have done so to cover up other crimes—namely, the campaign finance violations.

What are the stakes here? This case is primarily about Trump’s falsehoods and actions to conceal his own wrongdoing, and while serious, the legal theory behind the charges is relatively new.

This trial is set to begin in March 2024.

Florida — The Classified Documents Case

Obstruction of Justice, Conspiracy to Obstruct, and Violations of the Espionage Act

Trump’s second indictment—encompassing 40 charges—is significant in that it has sweeping implications for national security and presidential powers. Does a former U.S. President have the right to compromise our national security and claim ownership of classified information? Hopefully not!

This case is about Donald Trump’s actions upon leaving office. When he begrudgingly vacated the White House in 2021 (following an attempted insurrection) he took with him countless documents related to military programs, defense capabilities, and even nuclear weapons details. 

These documents were secreted away at Mar-a-Lago, and evidence suggests he wasn’t particularly shy about showing them off. Are you in need of a compelling bathroom read? Well, if you were a guest at Mar-a-Lago and needed to use the restroom, you might have stumbled across some of these classified documents.

Of course, the federal government was aware these documents were missing and requested their return multiple times—only to be met with lies and obfuscations. The charges here stem from the retention of that information and the efforts to conceal the documents from officials.

This trial is set to begin in May 2024.

District of Columbia — The Election Subversion and January 6 Case

We all remember January 6—the terror and tragedy of seeing the U.S. Capitol overrun by a violent mob intent on preventing the peaceful transition of power. This case, consisting of four felony charges, is about Donald Trump’s actions leading up to that day.

This may be the most significant of all Donald Trump’s indictments, because it goes to the heart of our democracy. Donald Trump used his platform, legal apparatus, and the weight of his office to try to overturn the election results, and his efforts resulted in deadly violence. According to the indictment, that included conspiracy to defraud the United States, obstruction of the certification of election results, and a conspiracy against the essential right of every American to have their vote counted.

Through the January 6th committee hearings and the extensive investigations into Trump’s efforts to overturn the election, we’ve seen the lengths he and his allies would go to in order to hold onto power. It should never be forgotten that people died as a direct result of those actions. This case could set the standard for what politicians can legally do to overturn the will of the people.

This trial could start as soon as January 2024.

Georgia — The RICO Case

Conspiracy to Overturn the Georgia Election Results

Similar to the D.C. case, this one is about Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. What’s different? This one is a state-level charge focused on the actions he and his allies took to overturn President Biden’s win in Georgia specifically. In addition to Trump himself, 18 other co-conspirators are charged in this case, including Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell. There are 13 charges in this case.

This case encompasses a number of well-known incidents between November 2020 and January 2023, including the notorious phone call in which the President asked for GA Secretary of State Brad Raffensburger to “find” 11,780 more votes so he could carry the state. Also encompassed in this indictment is the harassment campaign against Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, Georgia elections workers who were the subject of threats and accusations from the Trump campaign and supporters.

It’s worth noting that this is a case based in Georgia state—so even if Trump wins the election, he cannot pardon himself if he is convicted.

The date for this trial has not been set.

What’s next?

Despite all 91 charges, Donald Trump is still on track to be the Republicans’ presidential nominee in 2024. Indeed, his polling in the primary has only improved with each successive case. That fact is an indictment of the Republican Party itself, and underscores the stakes of the election.

That’s why we’re continuing to organize against Donald Trump’s MAGA movement. So no matter the outcome of these cases, we’re equipped to ensure that a Donald Trump-style candidate—whether it’s him or someone else—never again rises to the heights of the presidency again.