What are the 34 charges against Donald Trump, and what happens if he’s found guilty?

The first criminal trial of Donald Trump is in the final stretch. After weeks of hearing, the jury began deliberations in the case ‘hush money,’ for which the Former President of the United States faces 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.

The charges are the result of an alleged payment of $130,000, made by Trump’s then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to cover up a love affair of more than a decade ago between Daniels and Trump and thus avoid damaging the Republican’s former presidential campaign.

In this case, the Republican leader was charged in March 2023 and arrested just a month later. However, the former president declared himself innocent of the charges, triggering a criminal trial to prove his innocence. But what exactly is the former president accused of? Below is the indictment of the Manhattan Prosecutor’s Office.

What are the 34 charges against Donald Trump?

The 34 charges Donald Trump faces are for falsifying business records in the first degree, which is considered a class E felony in the United States. Here is the indictment from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, with the arraignment in its entirety:

Donald J Trump Indictment by Lalo López Navarrete

What happens if Trump is found guilty?

Falsifying business records in the first degree is punishable by up to four years in prison or a fine of up to $100,000 per count, or both, in addition to the costs of prosecution. If Trump is found guilty, the former president could serve a maximum sentence of four years in prison or, failing that, a lesser probation sentence with its respective fine.

According to experts, if Trump is found guilty, the second scenario is most likely to happen since the chances of the Republican facing a prison sentence are considerably low.