The tl;dr on the charges via the WaPo
Here are the 34 charges against Trump and what they mean
By Ann E. Marimow
Updated April 4, 2023 at 4:46 p.m. EDT|Published April 4, 2023 at 3:28 p.m. EDT
What are the charges against Trump?
Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records under Article 175 of the New York Penal Law.
Falsifying business records is a felony in New York when there is an “intent to defraud” that includes an intent to “commit another crime or to aid or conceal” a crime. In this case, prosecutors will have to prove that Trump is guilty of maintaining false business records with the intent to hide a $130,000 payment in the days before the 2016 election to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels to cover up an alleged 2006 affair.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said at a press conference after the court hearing that the alleged scheme was intended to cover up violations of New York election law, which makes it a crime to conspire to illegally promote a candidate. Bragg also said the $130,000 payment to Daniels exceeded the federal campaign contribution cap.
Does that mean Trump is charged with 34 different crimes?
No, the indictment lists 34 felony counts under the same New York statute. Each count represents a separate instance of alleged misconduct, but not a different type of crime.
Daniels was paid by Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen, who was then reimbursed by Trump after the election. The indictment details false entries in the Trump organization’s general ledger and checks paid to Cohen in 2017 that prosecutors say were falsely recorded as payments for legal services.
What are the likely punishments for those charges?
If convicted on the felony bookkeeping fraud charges, Trump faces a sentence of up to four years for each count. The judge could sentence Trump concurrently, meaning he would receive a sentence to be served one after the other.
The charge does not carry a mandatory prison sentence, however. Even if convicted on all counts, Trump would not necessarily face jail time. As a first-time offender with no criminal record, legal experts say it is uncertain whether the former president and 2024 candidate would be sentenced to prison if convicted.
Do we know how Trump will respond to the charges?
Trump pleaded not guilty during the arraignment hearing Tuesday afternoon. His lawyer Joe Tacopina said Sunday that the former president will eventually move to have the charges dismissed.
This is a developing story.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national ... ts-felony/