What you need to know:
On Tuesday, May 9, a federal jury in New York found former President of the United States Donald Trump responsible for sexually abusing and defaming journalist and former magazine writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s. Following the jury’s decision, Carroll was awarded $5 million in compensatory and punitive damages. While Carroll is not the first person to accuse Trump of sexual misconduct, as Trump has more than a dozen accusers, her case is the first time a jury has decided one of the allegations.
Carroll had had enough tests to prove to a federal jury in New York that the former president had sexually abused her in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman department store 30 years ago. However, the jury did not find that Trump had violated Carroll, which she had claimed.
She also accused Trump of defamation, citing that Trump had defamed her publication on his Truth Social platform that her allegations and lawsuit against him were “a complete scam” and a “hoax and lie.” The jury decided that Trump did defame Carroll.
The answer:
In response to her allegations of sexual abuse and defamation against Trump, Carroll said“I filed this lawsuit against Donald Trump to clear my name and get my life back. Today, the world finally knows the truth. The victory is not just for me, but for all the women who have suffered because they believed her”.
Trump’s lawyers said he would appeal the jury’s finding. After the verdict, Trump posted on Truth Social saying“I have no idea who this woman is. This verdict is a disgrace, a continuation of the biggest witch hunt of all time!
What does this mean:
The conclusions of the court are civilian, not criminal. This means that Trump will not go to jail or face any criminal charges. However, Carroll’s lawsuit against Trump represents one of many against the former president.
For civil cases, there is currently a lawsuit against Trump for business fraud in New York, in which New York Attorney General Leticia James claims Trump lied about his net worth and the value of his real estate holdings. Along with the former president, three of his children are also named in the lawsuit: Donald Junior, Ivanka and Eric. James’ goal is to ban Trump from running a business in New York State and is asking for $250 million. The case will go to trial in October.
As for the criminal cases, Trump faces four lawsuits.
Documents classified at Mar-a-Lago:
One of the four lawsuits against the former president claims that Trump manipulated and obstructed the government’s investigation of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence.
If convicted, some of the charges Trump could face and their maximum sentences are unauthorized retention of national security documents (the penalty could be up to 10 years in prison per document), obstruction (carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years for each offense), contempt of court ($1,000 fine and six months in prison), and conspiracy to make a false statement (maximum five-year sentence).
Election manipulation in Georgia:
Trump is indicted for the impeachments he attempted to interfere with the results of the 2020 election, in which he lost to current President Joe Biden. This comes two years after Trump made a call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, asking to find the right amount of votes for Trump to overturn Biden’s victory in Georgia.
If convicted, some of the charges Trump could face include election code violations and racketeering (which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison).
2020 elections and involvement in the January 6 uprising:
Following Trump’s involvement in inciting the January 6, 2021 Uprising at the Capitol, the US House Select Committee on the January 6 election has been investigating Trump’s role in attempting to overturn the 2020 election and inciting an insurrection at the Capitol, which resulted in five deaths and the suicide of four police officers after January 6.
If convicted, some of the charges Trump could face include obstruction of official proceedings (maximum sentence of 20 years in prison), conspiracy to defraud the United States (maximum sentence of five years in prison), conspiracy to commit a false statement and insurrection.
Hush Money to Stormy Daniels:
Before the 2016 election, Trump sent $130,000 to former adult actress Stormy Daniels, who claims she had an affair with the former president. Throughout 2017, former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen and the Trump Organization repaid their payments.
If convicted, a to load Trump could face accounting fraud (up to four years in prison).
What other sources should I look at?
“How big are Donald Trump’s legal problems?” – British broadcasting company
“An Overview of Donald Trump’s Legal Troubles” – Reuters
“Donald Trump is facing multiple investigations. Here’s where they stand.” – News from New York
