Fact check: What were the felony charges against Trump?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, Donald Trump faced multiple felony charges across several criminal cases:

New York State Case (Hush Money):

• Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree ^{[1] [2] [3]}
• These charges related to concealing a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels ^{[1] [3]}
• The Manhattan District Attorney's office characterized this as part of Trump's "illegal scheme to corrupt the 2016 election" ^[3]
• Trump received an unconditional discharge with no penalties, fines, or jail time due to his status as president-elect ^[2]

Federal Classified Documents Case:

• Trump was indicted with 37 felony counts related to mishandling classified documents, obstructing justice, and making false statements ^[4]
• However, special counsel Jack Smith dropped the classified documents case ^[5]

Federal Election Interference Case:

• Trump faced federal charges for alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election ^[5]
• This case was also dropped by special counsel Jack Smith ^[5]

Georgia State Case:

• Trump faced state charges in Fulton County related to 2020 election interference ^{[6] [5]}
• Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges in this case ^[5]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks several important contextual elements:

• Timing and case outcomes: While Trump was convicted in the New York case, the federal cases were ultimately dropped by prosecutors ^[5], which significantly changes the legal landscape
• Political implications: Trump's status as president-elect directly influenced his sentencing, resulting in no actual punishment despite the felony convictions ^[2]
• Multiple jurisdictions: The charges spanned federal and state levels across different jurisdictions - New York, Florida, Washington D.C., and Georgia ^[6]
• Distinction between indictments and convictions: Only the New York hush money case resulted in actual convictions, while other cases involved indictments that were later dropped or are still pending ^[5]

Beneficiaries of different narratives:

• Trump's legal team and political supporters benefit from emphasizing that most cases were dropped and he received no punishment
• Prosecutors and political opponents benefit from highlighting the historic nature of a former president being convicted of felonies
• Media organizations benefit from the ongoing coverage of these unprecedented legal proceedings

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself appears neutral and factual, simply asking for information about Trump's felony charges. However, the question could be interpreted as potentially misleading because:

• It uses past tense ("were the felony charges") which might imply all cases are concluded, when some remain active or were recently dropped ^[5]
• It doesn't distinguish between different types of legal proceedings - indictments, convictions, and case dismissals represent very different legal outcomes
• The framing could suggest equivalency between all charges, when in reality only the New York case resulted in convictions while federal cases were dropped by prosecutors ^[5]

The question would be more precise if it specified whether it was asking about all charges filed, only those resulting in convictions, or the current status of various cases.