Although he has won the Republican candidacy for the American presidential elections, Donald Trump is still at the center of a number of lawsuits that could throw a spanner in the works. This is how things stand with the four biggest cases in which he is involved.
1. Verkiezingsfraude en opruiing
Trump werd vorig jaar in staat van beschuldiging gesteld omdat hij probeerde de uitslag van de vorige presidentsverkiezingen te dwarsbomen. Dat mondde uit in de bestorming van het Capitool in Washington op 6 januari 2021. Daar werd de uitslag van de verkiezingen bevestigd. Aanhangers van oud-president Trump probeerden dat met geweld te voorkomen.
Trump wordt ervan verdacht dat hij zijn aanhangers rechtstreeks heeft opgeroepen het Capitool te bestormen. Daarmee zou hij schuldig zijn aan het opzetten van een opstand.
De advocaten van Trump beweren dat hij daarvoor niet kan worden aangeklaagd, omdat hij op dat moment nog de zittende president was. Trump zou “presidentiële immuniteit” hebben.
Ontvang meldingen bij belangrijk nieuws over de Amerikaanse presidentsverkiezingen Stay informed with notifications
The case was scheduled to begin on March 4. But the start was postponed indefinitely on Saturday by the federal judge hearing the case. The court must first consider the request of Trump’s lawyers to dismiss the case entirely due to so-called immunity.
If the case is postponed until after the presidential election, Trump could pardon himself if he becomes president again. This is possible because these are federal (or national) charges.
The US Supreme Court is considering the immunity claim. That case will start on April 25. It is still unclear when a decision will be made.
2. Election Fraud in Georgia
Trump is also accused of election fraud in the state of Georgia. Together with fourteen others, he is suspected of trying to influence the outcome. Trump himself is suspected of, among other things, “leading a criminal organization with unlawful purposes.”
The charge of participating in a criminal organization forms the core of the accusations against Trump. The bottom line is that he and the others are accused of a conspiracy to commit election fraud.
Trump initially faced 41 charges, but in mid-March a judge dropped 6 of them. The charges are said not to be detailed enough.
Around the same time, a judge decided to allow the prosecutor in the case, Fani Willis, to stay on. In January it became public that she had been in a relationship with someone within her team. According to Trump’s lawyers and eight co-defendants, there was a conflict of interest. The judge did not agree. The member of her team with whom she had a relationship must resign. Trump’s lawyers and eight co-defendants have appealed that decision.
It is not yet clear when the trial in Georgia will start. Willis has proposed August 5 as a start date, but the judge has not yet agreed to it.
3. Taking secret documents with you
A lawsuit in the state of Florida centers on the withholding of secret documents at his Mar-a-Lago residential resort. In addition, Trump is said to have obstructed the authorities when they came to collect the documents.
Jack Smith has been appointed special prosecutor for this case. He is also the same in the national case surrounding election fraud and the Capitol storming.
It is still unclear when the case will start. Smith has suggested July 8, but Trump’s lawyers don’t want to start until August 12. According to news agency AP there is a chance that the case won’t even start this year.
4. Hush Money Stormy Daniels
Trump is suspected of forging documents to conceal the fact that he paid hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels. She claims that she had an affair with Trump in 2006.
Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 in hush money. He received that amount back from Trump, who may have used campaign money for this. Cohen has already admitted his guilt.
The case starts on April 15. The case was actually supposed to start on March 15, but was postponed for a month by the judge. He sees no reason for further delay.
Trump’s lawyers announced a new attempt on Tuesday to delay the case. They are trying to replace the judge in the case. His daughter works for a political consulting firm that has Democrats as clients.
According to Trump, she is a “rabid Trump hater” and therefore Merchan herself would not be impartial. Trump’s team previously attempted to remove the judge from the case for that reason, but a committee did not agree.
Fraudezaak in New York
Tegen Trump loopt ook nog een civiele fraudezaak in New York. Hoewel die zaak geen invloed heeft op zijn kandidatuur voor de presidentsverkiezingen namens de Republikeinen, houdt die de gemoederen flink bezig.
In februari werd Trump schuldig bevonden aan fraude. De rechtbank oordeelde dat hij overdreef hoeveel geld hij heeft, om investeerders en kredietverstrekkers te misleiden.
De oud-president kreeg een boete van in totaal 454 miljoen dollar. Om tegen de uitspraak in hoger beroep te gaan, moest hij in eerste instantie dat bedrag betalen als borgsom.
Vorige week verlaagde de rechtbank het bedrag naar 175 miljoen dollar. Trump moest dat bedrag binnen tien dagen betalen. De Republikein heeft door zijn betaling van maandag aan die voorwaarde voldaan.
Als Trump het hoger beroep verliest, moet hij de rest van het boetebedrag ook betalen. Als hij wint, krijgt hij zijn geld terug. Het is nog niet bekend wanneer het hoger beroep dient.
Om een vraag te kunnen stellen dien je in te loggen. Log in of maak binnen 1 minuut jouw gratis account aan.
Direct inloggen
Gratis account aanmaken
