History Listory

A chronological record of major political events in modern American history.

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Legal Trouble - Trump

1973 Multiple (a list)

1973-01-01 Wikipedia overview explains DJT has been involved in over 4000 legal cases.

https://cohen.house.gov/TrumpAdminTracker

https://abcnews.com/US/list-individuals-including-lisa-cook-targeted-trump-administration/story?id=124968309

https://www.wabe.org/heres-where-all-the-legal-cases-against-trump-stand-since-his-return-to-the-white-house-2/

https://www.justsecurity.org/107087/tracker-litigation-legal-challenges-trump-administration/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump_sexual_misconduct_allegations

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indictments_against_Donald_Trump

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_and_business_legal_affairs_of_Donald_Trump

https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-reports/trumps-91-criminal-charges-and-where-they-stand/

https://www.usatoday.com/pages/interactives/trump-lawsuits/

2016

2016-01-01 Multiple allegations of criminal activity involving Trump properties emerged in 2016.

https://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/trump-dc-hotel-investigation-labor-department-224678

2016-10-01 Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen paid Stormy Daniels $130,000 to remain silent about an alleged affair with Trump. In 2018, Cohen plead guilty to campaign finance violations related to the payment.

https://www.wosu.org/2018-05-12/who-paid-michael-cohen

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/michael-cohen-pleads-guilty-manhattan-federal-court-eight-counts-including-criminal-tax

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/how-michael-cohen-broke-campaign-finance-law

https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/21/politics/michael-cohen-plea-deal-talks

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/michael-cohen-sentenced-3-years-prison

https://www.usatoday.com/pages/interactives/trump-lawsuits/

2019

2019-11-04 Approximate starting date of lawsuits between E. Jean Carroll and Trump for sexual assault and defamation.

https://www.axios.com/2025/09/03/trump-e-jean-carroll-verdict-scotus

2019-12-18 The House of Representatives impeached Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of justice. Trump was acquitted.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/18/us/politics/trump-impeached.html

https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S4-4-9/ALDE_00000035/

2020

2020-01-22 The Attorney General alleged that Trump misused inaugural funds.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-inauguration-lawsuit-hotel-washington-dc-settled/

2020-06-01 Workers filed a class action lawsuit against the Trump campaign over a non-disclosure agreement.

https://protectdemocracy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Combined-NDAs-PDF.pdf

2020-07-02 The ACLU and a Catholic priest filed separate lawsuits challenging the federal government’s expedited execution of Wesley Purkey.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/buddhist-priest-sues-halt-federal-execution-because-coronavirus-risk-n1232777

2020-07-24 The ACLU sued Trump over a new census order.

https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-immigrants-rights-groups-sue-trump-administration-over-new-census-order

2020-12-21 The NAACP sued Trump over allegations that the administration is deliberately trying to disenfranchise Black voters in Michigan.

https://naacp.org/articles/naacp-sues-president-trump-systematically-trying-disenfranchise-black-voters

2020-12-22 Dominion employees sued Trump for defamation.

https://www.npr.org/2020/12/22/949294173/dominion-voting-systems-employee-sues-trump-campaign-and-allies-for-defamation

2021 January

2021-01-06 January 6 riots. Multiple lawsuits were filed seeking damages for injuries and losses related to the insurrection. (Covered separately.)

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/jan-6-panel-releases-final-report-alleges-trump-engaged-in-conspiracy-to-overturn-election

https://d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net/static/2022/12/Report_FinalReport_Jan6SelectCommittee.pdf

2021-01-11 The House introduced Resolution 24 to impeach Trump for incitement of insurrection; it failed to secure a majority vote in February 2021.

https://guides.loc.gov/federal-impeachment/donald-trump

2021-01-15 New York Attorney General Letitia James investigated Trump’s company for allegedly inflating property values on financial statements.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/15/trump-criminal-investigation-manhattan-da-probes-seven-springs-estate.html

2021 February

2021-02-20 Fulton County DA investigated election interference involving Trump, Rudy Giuliani, and others.

https://www.npr.org/2021/02/10/966332808/georgia-district-attorney-is-investigating-trumps-call-to-overturn-election

https://www.wabe.org/fulton-election-case/

2021 October

2021-10-21 Westchester County investigated Trump for inflating property values on one statement and lowering those values on other statements to avoid taxes.

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/why-trump-organization-reportedly-facing-new-criminal-inquiry-n1282047

2021-10-31 Financial regulators investigated Trump’s SPAC amid allegations involving securities violations and insider trading.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/06/trump-spac-investigated-by-federal-regulators-including-sec.html

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/two-individuals-plead-guilty-participating-insider-trading-scheme-based-spac-merger

2021 November

2021-11-05 A Delaware County voting machine warehouse supervisor sued Trump for defamation after receiving threats following election-related claims.

https://www.phillyvoice.com/donald-trump-lawsuit-defamation-delaware-county-2020-election-fraud-pennsylvania/

2022 January

2022-01-31 Approximate start date of the Mar-a-Lago classified documents investigation timeline.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/a-timeline-of-events-leading-up-to-the-fbi-search-of-trumps-florida-estate

2022 June

2022-06-06 The House Oversight Committee investigated Trump’s receipt of more than $250,000 in foreign gifts.

https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/news/press-releases/oversight-democrats-release-evidence-showing-trump-first-family-failed-to

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-foreign-gifts-missing-house-democrats-report/

2022 August

2022-08-08 The FBI seized over 11,000 government documents from Mar-a-Lago. The federal case was later dismissed on February 10, 2025 after Republicans took control of the House.

2022 December

2022-12-06 Trump’s company was found guilty of criminal tax fraud.

https://www.npr.org/2022/12/06/1140756394/former-president-donald-trumps-company-found-guilty-criminal-tax-fraud

2023 March

2023-03-30 A Manhattan grand jury indicted Trump on state charges of falsifying business records.

https://manhattanda.org/d-a-bragg-announces-34-count-felony-trial-conviction-of-donald-j-trump

2023 August

2023-08-14 Trump and 18 co-defendants were charged in Georgia’s election interference case; proceedings remain stalled.

https://www.wabe.org/fulton-election-case/

2024 February

2024-02-01 A New York State Supreme Court judge ruled that Trump engaged in a scheme to manipulate his net worth and property valuations.

https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-fraud-ruling-property-valuation-michael-cohen

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/judge-imposes-364-million-penalty-in-trumps-new-york-civil-fraud-case

2024 April

2024-04-16 A judge admonished Trump for juror intimidation in the hush money trial.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/16/trump-new-york-hush-money-criminal-trial

2024-04-30 Trump violated a gag order.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/30/politics/donald-trump-fined-usd9-000-for-violating-gag-order-in-hush-money-case

2024 May

2024-05-06 Trump violated a gag order again. According to AI, Trump violated ten separate gag orders.

https://www.opb.org/article/2024/05/06/trump-second-gag-order-fine/

2024-05-30 Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records but received an unconditional discharge on January 10, 2025.

https://manhattanda.org/d-a-bragg-announces-34-count-felony-trial-conviction-of-donald-j-trump/

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-trump-avoided-punishment-for-his-felony-convictions

2024 October

2024-10-02 Special Counsel Jack Smith released 165 pages outlining Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 elections, involvement with the January 6 insurrection, and proof that Trump knew he had lost the 2020 elections.

https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/jack-smiths-new-filing-against-trump-proof-process-not-politics

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/10/02/special-counsel-jack-smith-reveals-new-evidence-against-trump-in-2020-election-case/

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25182600-smithfiling/

2025 July

2025-07-02 Senator Warren called for an investigation into the $16M Paramount settlement with Trump, calling the settlement “meritless”.

https://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-calls-for-investigation-into-paramount-settlement-with-trump

2025-07-24 Senators requested an investigation into corruption and bribery related to the Paramount megamerger.

https://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-on-trump-administration-approving-paramount-megamerger-bribery-is-illegal-no-matter-who-is-president#:~:text=Warren%20on%20Trump%20Administration%20Approving,Wyden%20(D%2DOre.)

2025 November

2025-11-27 A federal judge ruled that Trump’s former lawyer Alina Habba has been unlawfully serving as the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/judge-rules-former-trump-lawyer-alina-habba-is-unlawfully-serving-as-u-s-attorney-in-new-jersey

https://www.thestar.com/news/world/united-states/former-trump-lawyer-alina-habba-is-disqualified-as-top-new-jersey-prosecutor-us-appeals-court/article_7275466a-bc1f-53da-9051-a9ebda975cfa.html

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/alina-habba-trumps-former-lawyer-disqualified-as-new-jersey-prosecutor

2026 January

2026-01-22 Trump criticized Special Counsel Jack Smith on Truth Social. Smith had prosecuted Trump in cases involving election interference and classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/01/22/congress/trumps-tuning-in-to-smiths-testimony-00741228

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115939889414201547

2026 May

2026-05-27 The White House targeted E. Jean Carroll who Trump was found liable in courts for sexually abusing in 1996.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fsr2pgsCEg&list=WL&index=6