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What are the specific 34 felony charges in the case against Donald J. Trump and statutes for each count?
Executive summary
The available reporting consistently says Donald J. Trump was charged with and convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree tied to hush‑money payments related to the 2016 campaign (see AP, NBC, BBC) [1] [2] [3]. Sources list each count as an instance/date of an alleged false business record tied to payments and reimbursements; many outlets describe the charges as misdemeanor offenses elevated to felonies because prosecutors tied them to another crime — an alleged scheme to unlawfully influence the election [4] [5].
1. What the 34 counts are, in plain terms
Every count accuses Trump of making or causing false entries in business records — specifically entries reflecting payments, invoices, ledger entries, or reimbursements tied to Michael Cohen’s payments and related transactions intended to conceal alleged payments to Stormy Daniels and others. Major news outlets summarize the indictment as 34 separate falsifying‑business‑records counts, each referring to a distinct alleged false entry or date [6] [1] [3]. Ballotpedia and other compendia likewise list the case as 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree [7].
2. The statute cited and why felony rather than misdemeanor
Reporting explains that falsifying business records on its face is often a lesser offense, but prosecutors charged the counts as first‑degree falsifying business records — a felony — by alleging the falsifications were committed with intent to commit or conceal another crime (here, an alleged scheme to influence the 2016 election through “unlawful means”). The Independent summarizes defense arguments that prosecutors “elevated” misdemeanor falsifying counts into felonies by tying them to an underlying crime, a legal theory central to the prosecution and later appeals [4] [2].
Available sources do not provide the exact New York Penal Law section number text in the snippets given; they instead describe the nature of the statutory theory [4] [6]. If you want the precise statutory language and section numbers, current reporting excerpts do not include that statutory citation verbatim — not found in current reporting.
3. How the 34 counts were presented in court and in media lists
News outlets reproduced the indictment’s structure by listing each of the 34 counts as separate entries tied to specific dates or document types (e.g., an invoice, a detail ledger entry) and allege intent to defraud and to aid and conceal the commission of another crime (see The Independent’s recounting of sample counts) [6]. The AP and BBC provide the succinct headline framing — 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree — while The Independent reproduces sample language from the charging document [1] [3] [6].
4. Verdict, sentence, and legal posture
Multiple outlets report that a Manhattan jury found Trump guilty on all 34 counts in May 2024 [1] [8]. Subsequent reporting notes that Judge Juan Merchan later imposed an “unconditional discharge,” meaning New York treats him as a convicted felon but he received no further penalties — a fact discussed by PBS and NBC [9] [2]. The Independent and NBC note ongoing appeals arguing the felony theory and other procedural issues [4] [2].
5. Competing perspectives and legal arguments
Prosecution framing: Manhattan prosecutors presented the falsified business records as part of a broader scheme to hide payments meant to influence the 2016 election — a rationale that upgraded the charges to felonies [4] [6]. Defense framing: Trump’s lawyers say the charges were “manufactured” or an “elaborate theory” that improperly transformed misdemeanors into felonies, calling the prosecution politically motivated and asking appeals courts to overturn the verdict [4] [2]. Media outlets note these competing legal narratives and that appeals remain active [2] [4].
6. Limits of available reporting and next steps for verification
The provided sources consistently identify the counts as 34 first‑degree falsifying business records counts and summarize sample charging language, verdict, sentence, and appeals [1] [6] [2]. However, the exact statutory text and the indictment’s full list of each count’s precise statutory citation are not reproduced in the excerpts here — not found in current reporting. For definitive statutory citations and the verbatim indictment language, consult the charging instrument filed in New York County Supreme Court or official court dockets; the news summaries cite the counts but do not print every statutory code line [6] [7].
If you’d like, I can extract and list each of the 34 count descriptions as quoted in The Independent/AP/BBC summaries available here, or seek the formal indictment text (if you provide a court‑docket link or allow me to search further).