Former president Donald Trump was charged by the Justice Department in connection with the discovery of hundreds of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.
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End of carouselDonald Trump is facing historic legal scrutiny for a former president, under investigation by the Justice Department, district attorneys in Manhattan and Fulton County, Ga., and a state attorney general. He denies wrongdoing. Here is a list of the key investigations and where they stand.
Manhattan district attorney’s investigation
District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) convened a grand jury to evaluate business-related matters involving Trump, including his alleged role in hush-money payments to the adult-film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign. On March 30, the grand jury voted to indict Trump, making him the first ex-president to be charged with a crime. Here’s what happens next.
Mar-a-Lago classified documents investigation
FBI agents found more than 100 classified documents during a search of Trump’s residence at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., on Aug. 8 as part of a criminal probe into possible mishandling of classified information. On June 8, Trump was indicted in the case and has pleaded not guilty to 37 charges. The indictment has been unsealed — read the full text here.
Justice Department criminal probe of Jan. 6
The Justice Department is investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot and whether Trump or his aides may have conspired to obstruct the formal certification in Congress of the 2020 election result or committed fraud to block the peaceful transfer of power. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed veteran prosecutor Jack Smith to oversee this and the Mar-a-Lago investigation.
Georgia election results investigation
Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis (D) is investigating whether Trump and his allies illegally interfered in the 2020 election in Georgia. A Georgia judge released parts of a report on Feb. 15 produced by a special-purpose grand jury, and authorities who are privy to the report will decide whether to ask a new grand jury to vote on criminal charges.
Lawsuit over Trump business practices in New York
Attorney General Letitia James (D) filed a lawsuit Sept. 21 against Trump, three of his children and the Trump Organization, accusing them of flagrantly manipulating the valuations of their properties to get better terms on loans and insurance policies and to get tax breaks. The litigation is pending.
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This is the second time he has been criminally charged since March, when he was indicted in state court in New York on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments from 2016. Trump, who has denied wrongdoing in both cases, is the only former president ever charged with a crime. Trump aide Walt Nauta also was charged.
Amber Phillips, a politics reporter, and Brianna Tucker, a deputy politics editor, answered your questions about the indictment on Friday afternoon during a live chat. The chat is over, but your can read a transcript of it below. Questions may have been edited for accuracy and clarity.
Alexandra Pannoni, newsroom talent and community editor, produced this Q&A.