Ex-President Donald Trump is pushing his 2024 campaignIncidents before, during and after his tenure will face intense legal scrutiny – threatening to make Trump the first ex-president in American history to be charged with a crime.
Here are four investigations led by two prosecutors and a federal special counsel:
The Manhattan “hush money” investigation
Manhattan DAs have invited Trump to testify before the grand jury investigating an alleged “hush money” payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign — a move that could indicate Trump could soon face indictment in the case.
In New York, the indictment is often preceded by an offer to testify.
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Joseph Tacopina, an attorney for Trump, said CBS News“He will not participate in this process — a process which we, and most electoral law experts, believe has absolutely no legal value.”
In recent weeks, a steady stream of former Trump aides and White House staffers have been seen entering prosecutors’ offices, including Trump’s former adviser and White House campaign manager Kellyanne Conwayformer director of strategic communications, Hope Hicks, and his former attorney and “fixer” Michael Kohen.
Cohen, who was jailed on federal charges in connection with paying Daniels $130,000, has met with prosecutors repeatedly this year — more than half a dozen times since mid-January.
Kohen is Appearing before the grand jury Monday, according to two people familiar with the matter.
In his memoir Disloyal in October 2016, just before the presidential election, Cohen described an intensive attempt to prevent the actress from speaking publicly about an alleged affair with Trump. Ultimately, Cohen routed the money through a newly formed limited company, and both Cohen and Daniels have claimed they and Trump signed a non-disclosure agreement under the aliases David Dennison and Peggy Peterson.
Trump has repeatedly denied allegations of misconduct related to the payment, and in recent days has thwarted investigations led by Manhattan DA Alvin Braggand called it “a political witch hunt” and an “ancient and dismissed case that was rejected by all prosecutors.”
Election interference investigation in Fulton County, Georgia
The Fulton County District Attorney’s investigation into Trump’s conduct after the 2020 election began in February 2021 – spurred by a infamous recorded phone call of January 2, 2021 to the Georgian Foreign Minister Brad Raffensperger in which Trump urged him to “find 11,780 votes.”
The investigation grew in scope and scope over the next two years, eventually leading to the formation of a special-purpose grand jury — charged with investigating not just Trump but alleged efforts by dozens of his allies to thwart the Georgia election , which President Joe Biden won .
The Special Purpose Grand Jury had subpoena power but could not indict him. The panel of 23 Georgians interviewed 75 witnesses in 2022 and produced a report in January that was submitted to the Fulton County Attorney’s Office, Fani Willis — which has not said publicly whether it intends to press charges in the case.
In February, a judge ordered a small one part of the report be made public. In the introduction, the grand jury wrote that they dismissed a claim often made by Trump and his allies.
“We declare, by unanimous vote, that there has been no widespread fraud in the 2020 Georgia presidential election that could result in the overturning of that election,” the report said.
The report also said that a “majority of the grand jury believes that one or more witnesses who testified before it may have committed perjury,” and recommended that the district attorney make “appropriate charges” for crimes involving the ” evidence is compelling”.
Attorneys close to several Republican witnesses in the investigation are preparing move to suppress no possible charges in the case, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The Special Counsel dated January 6 and documents examined
In Washington, DC, a Special Counsel examines Trump’s handling of sensitive government documents found at his Mar-a-Lago home and possible obstruction of efforts to retrieve them.
Special Counsel Jack Smith was appointed in November to oversee the Justice Department’s criminal investigation into Trump, including efforts to ensure the lawful transfer of power after the 2020 presidential election and the notarization of the June 14, 2021.
Former Vice President Mike Pence is questioning a February subpoena from the Special Counsel. Special Counsel have broad subpoena authority, and it is unclear what information the Special Counsel is seeking in the subpoena.
Smith is also investigating allegations that Trump mishandled national defense information at his residence Mar-a-Lago. Trump’s handling of documents came under scrutiny in his home office after the August 2022 discovery of White House materials – some marked top secret. Federal prosecutors said in an August court filing that documents were “likely withheld and removed from Mar-a-Lago” as part of an effort to “obstruct” the FBI’s investigation.
Trump has criticized Smith on his social media page Truth Social, calling Smith a “radical.”
Trump has not been charged and has denied wrongdoing in relation to each of the investigations.
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Graham Kates
