What charges does Trump face in the classified documents, election interference, and business records cases, and how do penalties differ?

1. What the classified‑documents case charged him with — and where the case stood

The federal classified‑documents indictment by Special Counsel Jack Smith included numerous counts (reported as 37 counts in contemporary summaries) alleging willful retention of national defense information, obstruction of justice and making false statements to the government about classified materials taken to Mar‑a‑Lago ^[1]. Reporting shows Smith later sought to dismiss or remove Trump from parts of that prosecution after Trump’s 2024 victory; some court rulings and procedural moves (including an Eleventh Circuit involvement and a judge’s dismissal on appointment‑clause grounds, per later summaries) altered its trajectory ^{[1] [6]}. Available sources do not provide a single current sentencing exposure number for every count in these materials; they document counts and procedural steps ^{[1] [6]}.

2. Election‑interference cases: federal and Georgia state tracks

Trump faced federal charges in Washington, D.C., tied to efforts to obstruct the certification of the 2020 election — initially a multi‑count federal indictment alleging conspiracy to defraud the government and corruptly obstructing an official proceeding, among other counts — and he also faced state charges in Fulton County, Georgia, where prosecutors brought a sweeping indictment alleging a conspiracy to overturn the election under racketeering‑style theories ^{[2] [5] [3]}. Ballotpedia and other summaries note the federal case evolved (initially four core counts after Supreme Court rulings on immunity) and Special Counsel Smith moved to dismiss Trump without prejudice after the 2024 election; the Georgia prosecution has seen pauses, recusal challenges to DA Fani Willis, and — as of reporting — a new prosecutor (Pete Skandalakis) taking over review and continuation of the Fulton County matter in late 2025 ^{[2] [5] [3]}. Available sources do not list a consolidated maximum‑penalty total across those separate indictments in the materials provided ^{[2] [5]}.

3. New York business‑records (hush‑money) case: charges and disposition

In New York state court, Trump was charged with falsifying business records in the first degree connected to payments made to Stormy Daniels; reporting and compiled timelines show 34 counts in the Manhattan indictment, and a jury conviction in May 2024 on those counts followed by sentencing events and later appellate proceedings and review requests ^{[3] [4]}. Reuters and compiled sources report a $130,000 hush‑money payment was central to the case and that judges and appeals courts subsequently reviewed the conviction in light of broader immunity and jurisdictional questions ^{[4] [3]}. The New York case produced a conviction and sentencing activity, but subsequent legal maneuvers (appeals, review) continued; Britannica and other summaries record the counts and their role in the overall legal picture ^{[1] [3]}.

4. How penalties differ by statute and forum — practical context

Penalties differ substantially by whether a charge is state or federal and by the statute charged. Federal counts for classified documents and election obstruction can carry lengthy prison terms and fines under federal law; state felony business‑records convictions in New York likewise can carry prison exposure, fines, and collateral consequences under New York law — and that case produced a conviction and sentencing sequence in 2024 with subsequent appellate review ^{[1] [3] [4]}. Importantly, procedural developments altered how penalties might be imposed: Special Counsel moves to dismiss or to remove defendants, judicial rulings on immunity and appointments, and prosecutorial recusals or substitutions can pause, end or preserve the possibility of later prosecutions ^{[1] [6] [5]}.

5. Conflicting developments and political context that shape outcomes

Reporting shows competing legal and political dynamics: Special Counsel Smith’s handling (dismissal moves after the 2024 election), judicial rulings on presidential immunity and the appointments clause, and changes in prosecutors (including a new reviewer in Georgia) have affected whether charges proceed to trial or are stayed ^{[1] [6] [5]}. Political actors have framed these cases differently: Trump’s teams have alleged malicious prosecution in civil filings related to Mar‑a‑Lago, while congressional critics say he is seeking improper financial relief from the Department of Justice — a partisan overlay that influences public perception though not formal sentencing rules ^{[7] [8]}.

6. Limitations, unanswered legal specifics, and next steps

Available sources catalog counts, convictions, dismissals, and prosecutorial actions but do not compile a single, up‑to‑date numerical tally of maximum penalties across all active or potential counts as of November 2025; they also do not resolve every appellate outcome ^{[1] [3] [4]}. For precise statutory maximums or the current live exposure on each individual count, consult the charging instruments and recent court orders in each docket (not contained in the provided excerpts) — the materials here document the types of charges, key events, and major procedural turns ^{[1] [2] [3]}.