Why Does Trump Face Felony Charges? Prosecutors Say He Was Hiding Other Crimes.
Why Does Trump Face Felony Charges? Prosecutors Say He Was Hiding Other Crimes. The New York Times
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The Donald Trump Indictment, Annotated
The indictment unveiled in April 2023 centers on a hush-money deal with a porn star, but a related document alleges a broader scheme to protect Donald J. Trump’s 2016 campaign.
What is a felony?
A felony is a crime of greater seriousness than a misdemeanor, and conviction of a felony carries the possible penalty of a year or more in prison.
Falsifying business records in New York State can be a misdemeanor, but prosecutors can bring the charge as a felony if they believe the records were falsified to conceal another crime.
Manhattan district attorney Alvin L. Bragg had suggested that Mr. Trump concealed three potential crimes, although he has not charged him with any of those.
What do the business records show?
The $130,000 payment was made by Mr. Trump’s fixer, Michael D. Cohen, in the final days of the 2016 campaign. Mr. Cohen said he had done so at Mr. Trump’s direction.
While “hush money” payments are not necessarily illegal, Mr. Trump reimbursed Mr. Cohen during his presidency. In internal records, Mr. Trump’s company classified the repayment to Mr. Cohen as legal expenses, citing a retainer agreement. Prosecutors say there were no such expenses or retainer agreement.
The records related to the reimbursement underpin the 34 counts of falsifying business records: 11 counts involve the checks issued to Mr. Cohen, 11 center on monthly invoices Mr. Cohen submitted to the company, and 12 involve entries in the general ledger for Mr. Trump’s trust.
What crimes do prosecutors believe Trump was trying to conceal?
Prosecutors have suggested three possible crimes since filing the charges against Mr. Trump last year: a federal campaign finance violation, tax fraud, and a state election-law crime. But since the start of the trial, they have largely focused on the state election-law crime: conspiracy to promote or prevent election.
Prosecutors have framed the falsified documents as concealing a broader conspiracy to protect Mr. Trump’s campaign. They allege that Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen coordinated with the former publisher of The National Enquirer, David Pecker, to bury stories that could damage Mr. Trump’s campaign and promote others that would harm his political rivals.
Mr. Pecker testified about how the tabloid purchased the story of a Playboy model, Karen McDougal, who said she’d had an affair with Mr. Trump, and about how he declined to buy Ms. Daniels’s story and suggested that Mr. Cohen buy it instead.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis
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SDGs Addressed or Connected to the Issues Highlighted in the Article
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
- SDG 5: Gender Equality
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
The article discusses the felony charges against former President Donald J. Trump for falsifying business records. This relates to SDG 16, which aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels. It also connects to SDG 5, which focuses on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. Additionally, the article touches on issues of inequality and the influence of political campaigns, which are relevant to SDG 10 (reduced inequalities) and SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities).
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Specific Targets Under the Identified SDGs
- SDG 16.5: Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms
- SDG 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life
- SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status
- SDG 11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive, and accessible, green, and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons, and persons with disabilities
The targets identified are relevant to the issues discussed in the article. SDG 16.5 aims to reduce corruption, which is reflected in the charges of falsifying business records. SDG 5.5 focuses on women’s participation in decision-making, which is relevant to the involvement of Stormy Daniels in the case. SDG 10.2 highlights the importance of inclusion and equality, while SDG 11.7 emphasizes the need for accessible and safe spaces for all individuals.
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Indicators Mentioned or Implied in the Article
- Number of felony charges related to falsifying business records
- Extent of women’s participation and equal opportunities in decision-making processes
- Level of corruption and bribery in relation to the case
- Accessibility and inclusivity of public spaces
The article mentions the 34 felony counts faced by Donald J. Trump for falsifying business records, indicating a specific indicator for measuring progress in addressing this issue. The involvement of Stormy Daniels highlights the importance of women’s participation and equal opportunities in decision-making processes. The allegations of concealing crimes imply a level of corruption and bribery that can be measured. Lastly, the article touches on the role of public spaces in political campaigns, which can be assessed in terms of accessibility and inclusivity.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions | Target 16.5: Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms | Number of felony charges related to falsifying business records |
| SDG 5: Gender Equality | Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life | Extent of women’s participation and equal opportunities in decision-making processes |
| SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities | Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status | Level of corruption and bribery in relation to the case |
| SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities | Target 11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive, and accessible, green, and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons, and persons with disabilities | Accessibility and inclusivity of public spaces |
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Fuente: nytimes.com
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