5:09The day of his court appearance in New York, former President Donald Trump offers his remarks subsequent to being charged by a Manhattan grand jury concerning funds given to adult film performer Stormy Daniels, in Palm Beach, Florida, April 4, 2023.Marco Bello/Reuters
In May of 2024, Donald Trump was declared guilty on 34 felony accusations of falsifying business documents after being charged the previous year by a Manhattan grand jury, making him the first former president in American history to be convicted of a crime.
Prosecutors asserted that Trump participated in a "scheme" to better his prospects during the 2016 presidential race through a string of hush money payments arranged by others and the fabrication of New York business records to mask that supposed illegal behavior.
Former President Donald Trump delivers a speech at the conclusion of the day during his criminal proceedings at Manhattan Criminal Court, May 29, 2024, in New York City.Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images
The following is a schedule of events in the matter, going back to Trump's announcement that he would be a candidate for president in 2015.
June 16, 2015
Trump shares that he is vying for the presidency.
August 2015
Trump converses with David Pecker, then-chairman and CEO of American Media Inc. — which is the owner of the National Enquirer — at Trump Tower in New York. According to the prosecutors' account of events, Pecker consents to assist with Trump's campaign by watching out for damaging narratives about him to "catch and kill." He also pledges to circulate adverse stories concerning Trump's rivals in the election, according to the statement of facts submitted by the Manhattan DA.
October/November 2015
As stated in the account of events, Pecker becomes aware that an ex-Trump Tower doorman was attempting to sell information that Trump supposedly fathered a child outside of his marriage. According to the CEO's directives, AMI negotiates and enters into a deal to pay the doorman $30,000 in return for acquiring the sole rights to the tale. AMI allegedly mischaracterized this payment in its accounting records, based on the details.
AMI secures the story without carrying out a thorough investigation of the doorman's assertions, at the behest of Pecker, according to their alleged accord with Trump, as per the account of events. AMI subsequently comes to the conclusion that the story was incorrect and was intending to release the doorman from the arrangement, but Lawyer A — a Trump Organization lawyer thought to be Michael Cohen — allegedly instructs him to hold off on doing so until after the presidential election, according to the statement of facts.
June 2016
Concerning a woman, who is thought to be Playboy model Karen McDougal, alleging she had a sexual liaison with Trump during his marriage, the National Enquirer's editor-in-chief and chief content officer made contact with Cohen (Lawyer A), according to the statement of facts. As per the details, Cohen (Lawyer A) is frequently informed by the National Enquirer on this issue by text message and over the phone. According to the account of events, Trump allegedly did not want this information revealed to the public out of concern for the potential effect it would have on his run for president.
Ultimately, AMI provides the woman with $150,000 in exchange for her silence regarding the alleged sexual connection. She would additionally receive two magazine cover stories and a succession of articles released under her byline, according to the statement of facts.
According to the details, prosecutors claim that this agreement was reached with the understanding that Trump or the Trump Organization would pay AMI back for the payment.
Trump has refuted having the affair.
September 2016
As per the statement of facts, an audio recording supposedly captures a discussion between Trump and Cohen (Lawyer A) as they contemplate how to obtain the rights to the woman's story from AMI and provide them with a reimbursement for the payment.
As per the account of events, Cohen (Lawyer A) allegedly informs Trump that he will establish a company for the transference of the woman's account and that he had spoken with Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg about setting it up.
A shell company, known as Resolution Consultants, LLC, is allegedly established on or around Sept. 30, 2016. According to court documents, on or about that date, Pecker signs a deal transferring the rights to the woman's account to the shell company owned by Cohen (Lawyer A) for $125,000. However, before the reimbursement was carried out, Pecker conferred with AMI's general counsel and then informed Cohen (Lawyer A) that the transaction was terminated.
Oct. 7, 2016
News breaks that Trump was caught on tape in 2005 telling the host of the entertainment program "Access Hollywood," "I just start kissing them [women]. It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. … Grab 'em by the [genitals]. You can do anything."
According to prosecutors, evidence indicates that both Trump and his campaign team were anxious that the tape would undermine his viability as a candidate and diminish his standing with female voters, in particular.
In a statement Trump issued following the leak of the recording, he apologized and referred to his comments as "locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago."
Oct. 10, 2016
According to the statement of facts, AMI's editor-in-chief contacts Pecker regarding a second woman — believed to be adult film actress Stormy Daniels — who claimed to have had a sexual encounter with Trump during his marriage. Pecker instructs the editor-in-chief to notify Cohen (Lawyer A).
The AMI editor-in-chief links Cohen (Lawyer A) with the woman's lawyer. The two then deliberate a settlement to ensure the woman's silence. As per the account of events, the woman would receive $130,000 for the rights to her story.
As per prosecutors, Trump purportedly tells Cohen (Lawyer A) to postpone making a payment to the second woman for as long as feasible. Trump allegedly states, according to prosecutors, that they could avoid paying at all if he can postpone making the payment until after the election. As per the facts, prosecutors claim that emails and text messages between the two lawyers and the AMI editor-in-chief demonstrate that they tried to put off making the payment for as long as they could.
Prosecutors claim that Trump ultimately approves of the payoff and directs Cohen (Lawyer A) to move forward. As per the details, Trump allegedly does not wish to make the payment himself and asks Cohen (Lawyer A) and Weisselberg to identify a method to make the payment. After receiving confirmation that Trump would pay him back, Cohen (Lawyer A) makes the payment.
Oct. 26, 2016
According to the account of events, Cohen (Lawyer A) opens a bank account in Manhattan under the identity of a shell company he had created to make the payment soon after conversing with Trump over the phone.
According to court documents, Cohen (Lawyer A) then transfers $131,000 from his own home equity credit line into the account.
Oct. 27, 2016
Cohen (Lawyer A) transfers $130,000 to a lawyer representing the second woman, who is accusing Trump of having a sexual encounter with her during his marriage, to suppress her story, as per court documents.
Nov. 8, 2016
Trump triumphs in the presidential election.
As per court documents, AMI then releases the doorman and the first accuser from their nondisclosure agreements.
By Jan. 20, 2017
According to the account of events, prosecutors allege that Trump meets privately with Pecker in Trump Tower in Manhattan between Election Day and Inauguration Day, expressing his gratitude for handling the stories of the doorman and the first woman.
As per the details, Trump extends an invitation to Pecker to attend the inauguration.
January 2017
According to the details, Trump arranges to repay Cohen (Lawyer A) for the payoff he made on his behalf soon after being elected president.
As per the account of events, Cohen (Lawyer A) confers with Weisselberg to discuss how he would be compensated, with Weisselberg requesting that Cohen provide a copy of a bank statement for the shell company account displaying the $130,000 payment.
Weisselberg and Cohen (Lawyer A) settle on a total repayment amount of $420,000. As per the facts, this figure represented double the $130,000 payment and $50,000 reimbursement for another expense, in addition to a $60,000 year-end bonus — so Cohen (Lawyer A) could characterize the payment as income on his tax returns rather than a reimbursement.
According to court documents, Trump, Weisselberg, and Cohen (Lawyer A) concur that the lawyer will be paid the $420,000 in 12 monthly installments of $35,000 over the course of 2017. Cohen (Lawyer A) was supposed to send the Trump Org an invoice each month that falsely requested a payment of $35,000 for legal services provided. According to prosecutors, Cohen (Lawyer A) does not possess a retainer agreement with Trump or the Trump Organization.
February 2017
Cohen (Lawyer A) meets with Trump in the Oval Office in February 2017 to confirm the repayment arrangement, according to the statement of facts.
Feb. 14, 2017
Cohen (Lawyer A) emails the Trump Organization the initial monthly invoice, seeking two payments of $35,000 for January and February, which were reportedly approved by Weisselberg, according to the statement of facts.
Throughout 2017
According to prosecutors, Cohen (Lawyer A) submits 10 similar invoices for the remaining months in 2017, but is not on retainer. Prosecutors assert that the Trump Organization improperly recorded each payment as a "legal expense," according to the facts.
According to prosecutors, the initial check was taken from Trump's trust and countersigned by Weisselberg and Trump's son, in their capacities as trustees. According to the statement of facts, it was incorrectly recorded as payments for legal services rendered in January and February 2017.
According to the details, a second check, for March 2017, was also issued from the trust and co-signed by two trustees.
According to the details, Trump personally paid the remaining nine checks, which spanned from April to December 2017. Allegedly, Trump personally signed each of the checks and had them delivered to the Trump Organization in New York. As per the facts, they were subsequently scanned and stored in its data system prior to being detached and delivered to Cohen (Lawyer A).
According to the details, the last $35,000 payment was made for December 2017.
Summer 2017
According to the statement of facts, Trump invites Pecker to the White House for dinner to express his appreciation for his assistance throughout the campaign.
April 9, 2018
As per a statement of facts, the FBI executes a search warrant on Cohen's residences and office. Prosecutors assert that Trump and others engaged in a public and private campaign to exert pressure in the months that followed in an attempt to ensure that Cohen did not cooperate with law enforcement in the federal investigation.
According to prosecutors, Cohen (Lawyer A) speaks with Trump on the day of the FBI searches. According to the facts, Trump allegedly instructed him to "stay strong."
April 21, 2018
In a series of tweets, Trump openly urges Cohen not to "flip," stating, "Most people will flip if the Government lets them out of trouble, even if it means lying or making up stories. Sorry, I don't see Michael doing that."
Mid-April 2018
According to the statement of facts, Cohen (Lawyer A) is approached by an attorney — Lawyer C — who offers to represent him with the intention of maintaining a "back channel of communication" to Trump.
According to the facts, on April 21, 2018, Lawyer C reportedly emails Cohen (Lawyer A), claiming to have a close connection with Trump's personal attorney, identified as Lawyer D.
June 14, 2018
According to the details, Lawyer C emails Cohen (Lawyer A) a news clip that discusses the prospect of him working with law enforcement, encouraging him not to.
Lawyer C wrote in the email, "The whole objective of this exercise by the [federal prosecutors] is to drain you, emotionally and financially, until you reach a point that you see them as your only means to salvation," as stated in the facts.
In the same email, Lawyer C penned, "You are making a very big mistake if you believe the stories these 'journalists' are writing about you. They want you to cave. They want you to fail. They do not want you to persevere and succeed," according to the details.
July 2, 2018
In an extensive interview that airs on "Good Morning America," his first since the FBI raided his office and residences in April, Cohen emphatically indicates his willingness to collaborate with special counsel Robert Mueller and federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York — even if it endangers Trump.
Cohen informs ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, "My wife, my daughter and my son have my first loyalty and always will. "I put family and country first."
Aug. 21, 2018
Cohen acknowledges his involvement in AMI's payoff to McDougal (Woman 1) to sway the election by entering a guilty plea in the federal investigation, according to the indictment. In his plea, he claims that he had acted in accordance with Trump's instructions.
Cohen also pleads guilty in relation to his payoff to Daniels to ensure her silence, alleging it was executed at Trump's behest, according to the statement of facts.
Trump remarks on Twitter, stating, "If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don't retain the services of Michael Cohen!"
September 2018
According to the facts, Cohen and AMI admit their guilt regarding the payments made to the two women who asserted Trump had extramarital relationships with them.
In connection with the payoff made to Woman 1, AMI entered into a non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. They acknowledged that, during the negotiation or acquisition of her story, it never intended to publish a story, a practice referred to as "catch and kill," according to the statement of facts.
Nov. 3, 2020
Following an acrimonious campaign for reelection, Trump faces off against Joe Biden on Election Day. Four days later, after ABC News projects Pennsylvania for Biden, it is evident that Trump has been defeated.
March 2021
After serving in office for 12 years, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance declares that he will not be seeking reelection, despite the fact that the investigation into Trump is still underway. In 2018, his office had initiated an inquiry into hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels.
Nov. 2, 2021
In Manhattan, Alvin Bragg is chosen to serve as district attorney. Once he takes office, he resumes the investigation into Trump.
Bragg had directed the probe into the Trump Foundation in 2017 when he was under the leadership of then-Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for "extensive unlawful political conduct" involving the charity's funds and their utilization for personal purposes. As part of a settlement in 2019, the foundation was dissolved and Trump was compelled to pay $2 million.
Nov. 4, 2021
To hear evidence against Trump, Vance convenes a fresh grand jury for six months, clearing the path for it to continue past his departure from office in January.
The existing grand jury was nearing its expiration date. It had decided to press charges against the Trump Organization and its CFO, Weisselberg, on unrelated matters.
Jan. 1, 2022
Bragg is sworn in as Manhattan's newly elected district attorney. Prior to leaving office, Vance refrains from bringing charges against Trump.
Feb. 22, 2022
The Trump investigation's two leading prosecutors — Assistant District Attorneys Carey Dunne and Mark Pomerantz — step down from their positions in the district attorney's office.
Later, Pomerantz reveals that he disagreed with Bragg's decision not to bring charges against Trump during Bragg's first few days as DA. Pomerantz previously held the position of special prosecutor with the Southern District of New York.
The investigation carries on after their resignations, but there is some doubt as to whether charges will be brought against Trump.
Aug. 18, 2022
Weisselberg enters a guilty plea to tax evasion, confessing to avoiding taxes on nearly $2 million in income as part of a scheme that lasted for years. He accepts a plea bargain for a five-month prison sentence and agrees to testify against the Trump Organization at the forthcoming trial in October. However, the plea agreement does not require him to testify against Trump personally.
Dec. 5, 2022
Bragg declares that Matthew Colangelo has been appointed as senior counsel. He had previously served as an official with the Department of Justice and had formerly worked at the New York Attorney General's Office, where he was a member of the team that looked into the Trump Foundation.
Dec. 6, 2022
A jury finds the Trump Organization guilty on all counts of tax fraud brought by the Manhattan district attorney's office.
Charges included scheme to defraud, conspiracy, criminal tax fraud and falsifying business records.
Beginning of 2023
According to sources who spoke with ABC News, a grand jury has been hearing evidence regarding the hush money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, including testimony from Pecker, Trump's longtime confidant. Cohen is also cooperating with the DA's office.
Jan. 18, 2023
Bragg states in a letter to book publisher Simon & Schuster that he is concerned that an upcoming book about Trump written by Pomerantz could be detrimental to the district attorney's office's investigation. Bragg requests that the publisher postpone its release by requesting 60 days to review its manuscript.
Pomerantz's publisher indicates that the book will be released in February as scheduled.
Jan. 30, 2023
As the reconvened grand jury investigates hush money payments to Daniels, Pecker becomes one of the first individuals to testify before it.
Feb. 7, 2023
Simon & Schuster publishes Pomerantz's book, "People vs. Donald Trump: An Inside Account," in which he criticizes Bragg, stating that Bragg erred by not bringing a case against Trump at the start of his term. Vance had assigned Pomerantz to the case.
Bragg defends himself against the criticism by asserting that the case against Trump was not yet ready.
Feb. 8, 2023
Cohen has a meeting with prosecutors looking into Trump, marking his 15th encounter with the district attorney's office, but his first since the grand jury was formed.
March 13
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
