President-elect Donald Trump, once facing significant criminal and civil legal challenges, has seen an astounding shift in his circumstances following his election win but still faces legal problems, if on a smaller scale.
Federal criminal cases that carried penalties of up to decades in prison against him have been dismissed, state cases are stalled, and appeals courts may reduce hefty civil penalties — a stark contrast from where the incoming president stood just one year ago.
Trump’s legal team argues that his status as the 47th president, coupled with the Supreme Court‘s presidential immunity decision in his favor last summer, shields him from needing to proceed in several ongoing cases.
Earlier this week, Trump’s soon-to-be White House communications director slammed the continued “Witch Hunts” Trump faces despite the Republican Party winning back the presidency and both chambers of Congress.
“We look forward to uniting our country in the new administration as President Trump makes America great again,” Cheung said, referring to the incoming inauguration of Trump on Jan. 20.
Here’s an update on the most prominent legal matters still looming over Trump:
Hush Money Case
Trump was convicted in New York for falsifying business records tied to hush money payments to Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election. He has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty.
While his sentencing was delayed following a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity in Trump v. United States on July 1, Trump’s attorneys have argued the case should be dismissed entirely.
So far, New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, who presided over his trial, has only ruled that the immunity decision has no bearing on whether the jury’s guilty verdict should be tossed out.
Trump has separately argued that his White House victory compels the dismissal of the jury’s verdict and the case in its entirety. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) has pushed back, instead laying out alternatives such as freezing the proceedings during Trump’s term.
A decision on this aforementioned subject is still pending, leaving the case in limbo just days before Trump is set to reenter the Oval Office.
Georgia Election Interference
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis charged Trump and 18 others with conspiring to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results.
A state appeals court recently disqualified Willis from the case due to conflict-of-interest claims.
Even if her appeal to regain control is successful, any trial would have to wait until Trump leaves office.
If her appeal fails, the case will require a new prosecutor, further delaying proceedings, and raises questions about whether a secondary district attorney would be willing to continue the case launched by Willis’s office.
A $500 million Civil Fraud Judgment
Trump faces a $500 million penalty after a New York judge ruled his business engaged in years of fraud.
His lawyers attended an appeals court hearing of the decision in September, with some judges signaling the penalty may be excessive.
Meanwhile, Trump’s legal team has sought dismissal, arguing that the ongoing case could interfere with his presidential duties.
New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) has refused to drop the case.
The civil cases against Trump are particularly pressing, in part because the Supreme Court already found in a similar case involving former President Bill Clinton in 1997 that presidents can be held liable for civil damages despite their status as president.
E. Jean Carroll Verdicts
Trump has also been found liable in two civil cases brought by writer E. Jean Carroll, resulting in a combined $88 million in damages for sexual abuse and defamation for his public denial of Carroll’s claims that he raped her in a department store in the mid-1990s. He is appealing both verdicts.
The civil cases are one of the least threatening to his service as president and freedoms, but have struck a chord for Trump. He recently succeeded in getting ABC News to settle a defamation case for $15 million after anchor George Stephanopoulos claimed the jury found him liable for “rape,” and recently reposted a photo of Carroll on Truth Social with a message that read: “Should a woman go to jail for falsely accusing a man of rape? Retruth if you want justice for Trump.”
A decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit upheld the $5 million verdict from the first case earlier this week, while arguments on the larger $83 million judgment are still ongoing.
Trump’s lawyers contend the immunity ruling should protect him from liability for statements made during his presidency.
Central Park Five Defamation Case
Members of the “Exonerated Five” have sued Trump for defamation over remarks made during a presidential debate in September.
The lawsuit alleges that Trump defamed five men who were wrongfully convicted in 1989 in the assault of a New York jogger in Central Park during the debate between Vice President Kamala Harris.
Attorney Shanin Specter told NPR in October that Trump “cast them in a harmful false light and intentionally inflicted emotional distress on them.”
Trump has moved to dismiss the case, arguing his statements were substantially true and protected political speech, while the five plaintiffs are asking the court to let the case proceed.
Jan. 6 Civil Suits
Although the federal criminal case related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot has been dismissed, Trump still faces eight civil lawsuits.
The cases involve law enforcement and Democratic lawmakers seeking damages for injuries and other harms. Trump argues his actions are protected by presidential immunity. A ruling on the issue is expected by the summer.
