Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
Donald Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Please itemize each one.
Executive summary
A Manhattan jury found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree tied to payments meant to conceal an affair and influence the 2016 election (conviction announced May 30, 2024) [1] [2]. Sentencing was later held with no punitive sentence imposed by the court on January 10, 2025, and reporting notes the conviction remained on the record as of later appeals [3] [4] [5].
1. What the 34 counts were, in plain language
The indictment charged 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree — each count corresponding to an allegedly false or altered business record that prosecutors say concealed a $130,000-plus payment to an adult film actress (commonly reported as Stormy Daniels) to suppress damaging publicity before the 2016 election; jurors convicted Trump on each of those individual counts [2] [1]. Reporting and court documents describe the scheme as using business records (e.g., payments routed through his companies and recorded in corporate books) that prosecutors say were falsified to hide the true purpose of the payments [6] [2].
2. Why there were 34 separate counts, not one
New York’s falsifying-business-records statute allows multiple counts when prosecutors allege separate false entries or separate acts to conceal a crime; the grand jury returned 34 counts reflecting prosecutors’ claim that there were 34 distinct false entries in corporate books or related documents connected to the payments and reimbursement scheme [6] [2]. NPR’s explainer walks readers through how each count corresponds to specific alleged false records the prosecution identified in the financial trail [1].
3. How the jury verdict and sentencing unfolded
A six-week trial ran from April 15 to May 30, 2024, and the jury convicted Trump on all 34 counts on May 30, 2024 [3] [1]. Sentencing was set for later dates; reporting documents that by January 10, 2025, when the court held a sentencing hearing, the judge issued what was described in reporting as a no-penalty sentence or an unconditional discharge in that proceeding [3] [4]. Subsequent reporting notes the conviction remained on the record while appeals and legal maneuvering continued [5].
4. What specifically the sources do and do not list item-by-item
Available sources in this set summarize that there were 34 counts tied to falsified business records relating to hush-money payments and note a conviction on all counts [1] [2] [6]. However, the provided materials do not publish a line-by-line itemization in this collection showing the exact text of each of the 34 charging paragraphs (e.g., Count 1: [text], Count 2: [text], etc.). Court docket or the full indictment text would normally list each count individually; that precise itemization is not reproduced in these snippets [6] [3].
5. Competing perspectives and legal context
Prosecutors framed the counts as part of a scheme to influence the 2016 election by concealing damaging information via falsified corporate records; the convictions reflect that theory as accepted by the jury [2]. Coverage also shows the defense and supporters framed the prosecution as politically motivated; later reporting highlights the legal fights over immunity, appeals, and the unusual constitutional questions when a convicted ex-president later became president-elect, which complicated follow-up prosecution and appeals [5] [7]. The materials note continuing legal maneuvering after the verdict, including appeals and reviews of immunity issues [5] [7].
6. Where to find the itemized counts if you want them
To get a verbatim, count-by-count list, consult the formal indictment or the court’s docket/decision documents where the indictment text is published; the decision PDF in the provided set confirms 34 counts and is a court source in the record [6] but the snippets here don’t reproduce each charged paragraph. Major outlets’ trial explainer pieces (for example NPR) summarize the counts and their legal meaning and may quote or link to the charging document; the provided NPR and court PDF references are starting points [1] [6].
7. Limitations and what this package does not claim
This summary relies only on the provided sources and does not invent or assert text not found in them. The precise, line-by-line charging language for each of the 34 counts is not contained in these snippets; therefore, I do not present a verbatim itemization here and note that the full indictment or court docket should be consulted for exact count text [6] [3].
If you want, I can extract and reproduce the full 34-count charging language if you provide the full indictment text or a direct link to the complete charging document.