Breaking down the 91 charges Trump faces in his four indictments

3 min

Former president Donald Trump faces a total of 91 charges across four criminal cases. They include 44 federal charges and 47 state charges, all of them felonies. Trump has denied wrongdoing in each case.

FEDERAL

Jan. 6

election case

Classified

documents case

40

4

Latest

charges

STATE

N.Y. falsifying

business records case

34

Georgia 2020

election case

13

Latest

charges

Jan. 6

election case

Classified

documents case

FEDERAL

40

4

N.Y. falsifying

business records case

Georgia 2020

election case

STATE

34

13

Latest

charges

FEDERAL

STATE

Jan. 6

election case

Classified

documents case

N.Y. falsifying

business records case

Georgia 2020

election case

40

34

13

4

Latest

charges

The most severe federal counts are those related to obstruction, which is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment. Defendants, however, rarely receive the maximum sentences, and it is uncertain if Trump would be incarcerated even if he were found guilty in any of the cases.

Here is a breakdown of the charges:

13 charges in the Georgia election interference case

1

Racketeering

4

Soliciting or impersonating

a public officer

8 counts

Related to forgery or false

statements and documents

1

Racketeering

8 counts

Related to forgery or false

statements and documents

4

Soliciting or impersonating

a public officer

The Fulton County, Ga., district attorney charged Trump and 18 others in connection with efforts to reverse his 2020 election loss in the state.

What do the charges mean?

The most sweeping charge in this case is Trump’s alleged violation of Georgia’s powerful anti-racketeering law. This law allows prosecutors to charge a large group of people in a complex web of potential crimes. The indictment says Trump and others were part of a criminal enterprise that refused to accept his election loss and conspired to change the outcome.

Separate counts of soliciting or impersonating a public officer refer to attempts by Trump and co-defendants to pressure officials to find ways to change the results, mainly by peddling false claims about voter fraud. The remaining counts — forgery, false statements and false documents — involve the plot to appoint fake electors, as well as the bevy of false voter fraud claims Trump and others made as they allegedly tried to subvert the election. Read more about the individual charges.

Four charges in the federal Jan. 6 election case

1 count

Conspiracy to defraud

the U.S. government

1

Conspiracy against

civil rights

2

Obstruction

1 count

Conspiracy to defraud

the U.S. government

1

Conspiracy against

civil rights

2

Obstruction

Federal prosecutors are investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

What do the charges mean?

Conspiracy is a broad legal term meaning two or more people plotted to break the law and then took steps to do so. A conspiracy does not have to be successful to amount to a crime.

In this case, Trump and a group of alleged co-conspirators — unnamed but many identifiable through prosecutors’ descriptions — are accused of scheming to reverse the election results and keep Trump in power. The three conspiracy counts relate to the myriad ways they allegedly tried to accomplish that goal. The fourth count, attempting to obstruct an official proceeding, arises from Trump’s attempt to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s win. Read more about the individual charges.

40 charges in the classified documents case

32 counts

Willful retention of

national defense information

Each corresponds

to one classified

document

Added in superceding

indictment after initial

charges filed in June

2

False

statements

6

Related to obstruction,

withholding or

altering documents

32 counts

Willful retention of

national defense information

2

False

statements

6

Related to obstruction,

withholding or altering documents

Added in superceding

indictment after initial

charges filed in June

Each corresponds

to one classified

document

Federal prosecutors charged Trump with illegally hoarding classified documents from his presidency and conspiring with aides to cover up his actions.

What do the charges mean?

Each of the first 32 counts relates to a different classified document that prosecutors say Trump illegally kept after he left the White House. Some of the documents contained military intelligence and other sensitive information that could harm national security if exposed, according to prosecutors. The other charges involve Trump’s alleged attempts to hide the documents from investigators and delete Mar-a-Lago security footage. Read more about the individual charges.

34 charges in the falsifying business records case

Each represents an alleged

misclassified campaign expense

Each represents an alleged

misclassified campaign expense

The Manhattan district attorney charged Trump with falsifying business records in connection with hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election.

What do the charges mean?

These are essentially bookkeeping charges. Each involves a separate instance in which prosecutors allege that Trump misclassified campaign expenses as legal expenses. Falsifying business records is a misdemeanor in New York but can be charged as a felony when prosecutors believe there is an “intent to defraud” that includes an intent to “commit another crime or to aid or conceal” a crime. Read more about the individual charges.

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