Which indictments against Donald Trump allege felony charges and what are their statuses?
Executive summary
Four separate prosecutions from 2023–2025 against Donald Trump involved felony allegations: a New York state case charging 34 counts of first‑degree falsifying business records (convicted May 30, 2024; later sentenced to an unconditional discharge Jan. 10, 2025) [1] [2]. Two federal cases (one in the Southern District of Florida about classified documents and one in the D.C. special‑counsel election subversion case) and a Georgia state prosecution all alleged felony offenses at various times; the federal cases were dismissed or dropped after legal challenges and the Georgia charges were ultimately declined by the new prosecutor [3] [2] [4].
1. The New York “hush‑money” indictment: felony counts, conviction, and aftermath
Manhattan prosecutors indicted Trump in March 2023 on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree; a jury found him guilty on all 34 counts on May 30, 2024, marking the first criminal felony conviction of a former U.S. president [1] [2]. Sentencing unfolded amid delays tied to post‑election litigation and scheduling; Judge Juan Merchan issued an unconditional discharge on January 10, 2025, and Trump has filed appeals challenging the conviction [5] [6] [1].
2. Federal classified‑documents indictment in Florida: felony allegations and legal hurdles
The Southern District of Florida case charged Trump with felony counts tied to retention of classified documents and alleged obstruction of efforts to recover them; reporting and legal summaries describe these as federal felony allegations [7] [2]. Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed a superseding indictment in July 2024 on an Appointments Clause ground; the Justice Department later dropped its appeal of that ruling and the special‑counsel prosecutions were effectively ended by November 2024 [3] [2].
3. D.C. election‑subversion indictment: statutory felonies and dismissal
Special Counsel Jack Smith’s August 2023 D.C. indictment accused Trump of conspiring to obstruct the official certification of the electoral vote and related offenses under 18 U.S.C. §1512(c) and conspiracy statutes—charges that the statutory framework treats as felonies carrying heavy potential penalties [8] [9]. That case was remanded, paused while immunity questions were litigated, and ultimately the Justice Department moved to dismiss the action in December 2024 after Supreme Court and district‑court developments [2] [3].
4. Fulton County, Georgia: state election‑interference indictment and ultimate disposition
Fulton County prosecutors indicted Trump in August 2023 on multiple state felony counts alleging efforts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 results; the indictment initially contained more counts but some were dismissed and the case was delayed by prosecutorial conflict issues [5] [2]. After removal of the original district attorney from the case on appeal and a succession of prosecutorial decisions, the new prosecutor Pete Skandalakis declined to pursue the charges and a judge dismissed the case in November [4] [5].
5. How many indictments alleged felonies, and what’s the practical status now?
Across the four jurisdictions most widely cited in reporting — New York, Georgia, federal D.C., and federal Florida — felony allegations were present in each indictment at one time or another: New York (34 felony counts) produced a conviction that was later discharged pending appeals; the two federal cases involved felony accusations but were dismissed or the appeals abandoned; Georgia’s felony case was dropped when a successor prosecutor declined prosecution [1] [2] [3] [4].
6. Competing narratives and political context worth noting
Prosecutors and many legal observers treat the charges as criminal felonies with significant legal consequences, while Trump and many allies portray the prosecutions as politically motivated and “weaponized” by opponents; reporting notes both the procedural defeats faced by prosecutors (dismissals, Appointments Clause rulings) and the unique historical fact of a former president’s criminal conviction [6] [2]. Readers should note that decisions to dismiss or not pursue charges can reflect legal rulings, prosecutorial discretion, or changes in officeholders — factors beyond the raw allegation counts [3] [4].
Limitations and sourcing note: This account relies solely on the provided reporting and legal summaries. Available sources do not mention any post‑January 2025 developments beyond what's cited here; if you want, I can pull the original indictments or court orders cited in these summaries for more granular charge‑by‑charge language [8] [2].