WATCH: Is Trump's Fate Hanging In The Balance If Convicted?

He could face up to 136 years in prison if convicted, though a lesser sentence is more likely. Falsifying business records is a felony carrying a maximum sentence of four years if a defendant's "intent to defraud includes an intent to commit another crime or to aid or conceal the commission thereof." While typically a misdemeanor charge in New York, this is the case for Trump.

April 05, 2023

When asked why the indictment did not specify the concealed crime, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg commented that the law does not require it. He further explained that New York state election law criminalized conspiracies to unlawfully advocate for a candidacy, which includes certain unlawful means, such as additional false statements, including those planned to be brought before tax authorities. Bragg accused Trump and his associates of burying damaging information through a "catch and kill" scheme ahead of the 2016 election, resulting in dozens of false entries in business records and attempts to break various state and federal election laws.

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Bragg's investigation stems from a years-long examination of hush-money payments Trump purportedly made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Both have claimed to have had affairs with the former president, which he denies. Both the Federal Election Commission and the federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York investigations decided not to charge Trump.

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Apart from Bragg's scrutiny, Trump is also under review by a prosecutor in Fulton County, Georgia, for his alleged attempts at overturning the 2020 presidential election result in that state. Additionally, special counsel-led federal investigations are probing whether Trump mishandled classified materials and whether he attempted to overturn his 2020 election loss. Trump, who is leading the Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election, has denounced this investigation as "Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history."