The Trump Indictments: The 91 Criminal Counts Against the Former President of the United States

by Ali Velshi

Edited and introduced by MSNBC’s Ali Velshi, The Trump Indictments collects the complete charging documents brought by the Department of Justice and the Fulton County (GA) and Manhattan (NY) district attorneys—a riveting and shocking narrative of the former president’s alleged crimes and conspiracies. “Despite having lost, the defendant was determined to remain in power…”  So reads the compelling introduction to the Department of Justice’s second indictment against Donald Trump—one of four criminal cases brought against the former president. Purposely crafted as narratives to be read by the public, these documents are among the most consequential in American history, forcing the country to grapple with the critical does justice apply to the most powerful? Edited and with an introduction by MSNBC host Ali Velshi,  The Trump Indictments  collects all the charging documents against Trump and his co-defendants, providing critical insight on a decisive moment in our history. It is required reading as the country faces a pivotal reckoning—both in our justice system and at the ballot box. United States of America v. Donald J. 4 felony counts for conspiring to overturn the 2020 U.S. presidential election results United States of America v. Donald J. Trump, et 40 felony counts for mishandling of classified documents The State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump, et 13 felony counts for leading a “criminal organization” that conspired to overturn Georgia’s election People of the State of New York v. 34 felony counts concerning hush money payments made before the 2016 U.S. presidential election

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, Law, Crime

320 pages, Paperback

Published September 25, 2023

Reviews

[Scott Rhee · Rating 5 out of 5]

”The first thing I thought of when I heard about it is, how does the press get this information that’s classified? How do they do it? You know why? Because it’s an illegal process, and the press should be ashamed of themselves. But more importantly, the people that gave out the information to the press should be ashamed of themselves. Really ashamed.”

—-Donald Trump, February 16, 2017; four years before Trump literally handed over highly classified documents to a reporter visiting Mar-A-Lago, where Trump was illegally storing thousands of highly classified documents in rooms that weren’t even locked.

Really nothing more than the official legal briefs of the four criminal cases that former president Donald Trump faces in the upcoming months, “The Trump Indictments”, edited by Ali Velshi, nevertheless tells a fascinating and, frankly, disgusting narrative of a man who shouldn’t have been president proving why he shouldn’t have been president.

This book requires no review nor any comment really. (My only comment being, of course, the obvious question: How the hell are there still idiots that support this guy and plan to vote for him in November?)

It’s simply a highly organized document, in very clear language, listing the 91 criminal counts that former U.S. president Donald Trump faces in several upcoming trials scheduled for this spring and summer.

Honestly, Trump’s own miscellaneous tweets, e-mails, phone call transcripts, and other public statements speak for themselves:

”Just say that the election was corrupt and leave the rest to me and the Republican congressmen.” —-Trump, after trying to convince the U.S. Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General to illegally change the outcome of the election

December 19, 2020 tweet: “Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!”—-Trump

January 5, 2021 tweet: “Washington is being inundated with people who don’t want to see an election victory stolen… Our country has had enough, they won’t take it anymore! We hear you (and love you) from the Oval Office.”—-Trump

January 6, 2021 comments from speech: “I hope Mike [Pence, Vice-President] is going to do the right thing. I hope so. I hope so.” —-Trump, one of several attempts to convince Pence to illegally overturn election results

January 6, 2021 tweet: “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving states a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify. USA demands the truth!”—-Trump, after Pence made a statement that he would not illegally overturn the election results, subsequently resulting in crowd members of the insurrection chanting “Hang Mike Pence!” over and over…

January 6, 2021 tweet: “These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!”—-Trump, after inciting an insurrection that would result in nine deaths and roughly three million dollars in property damage.

[Star · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read this book! An important, accurate record of American history.
Excellent, accurate source of information.

[Adam Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading through The Trump Indictments which contains the charging documents from the four federal court cases Trump is facing, now three as one finished a few months ago, and wow. So the first two cases in the book the DC case involving the plot to overturn the election and the Florida case involving the mishandling of classified documents was the most interesting ones. Both were prepared by Jack Smith and he writes legal documents in an engaging way. The other two were a bit dry but again they are legal documents for a trial not a novel so that’s to be expected.
Enjoyed is the wrong word, but I’m glad I read them for myself and I’m glad I own it to use as reference. Especially as November gets closer

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A necessary read.

[Ryan Farrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I suppose none of this matters now, but it’s an incredibly sobering experience to read these indictments, in particular the three that were never tried. The weakest and least important, the New York hush-money case prosecuted by Alvin Bragg, is unfortunately the only case with felony charges that Donald Trump ended up facing and getting convicted with, and although that’s important as far as it goes — falsifying business records in the furtherance of electoral victory is both immoral and illegal — the real shame is that the far more grave behavior surrounding election interference prior to and during January 6th never made it to trial.

Jack Smith’s federal indictments are incredibly cogent, clear, and easy to follow. The first and most important deals with election obstruction, beginning with some basic civics information which is incredibly helpful and important in order to understand the gravity of what follows, particularly the attempts to violate the ECA, using false slates of electors and public pressure to sway Mike Pence into unilaterally naming Trump the victor by tossing contested ballots, or else sending it back to the states, and ultimately the House, with a Republican majority, to hand Trump the victory. It’s made painstakingly obvious that despite numerous protests to the contrary, none of this was ever done in remotely good faith or even in honest ignorant error — we have so much information about the proceedings of the plot, with open acknowledgement that the claims of widespread election-determinate fraud were false, with countless attempts at subterfuge, solicitation, fake documents, and open lies. Everything surrounding the attempted coup on January 6 marks one of the darkest moments in recent U.S. history only made worse by the subsequent re-election of an insurrectionist president, and his swift pardoning of everyone involved, including those charged and convicted with seditious conspiracy in front of a jury of their peers.

The Georgia RICO case goes into greater detail with the false electors scheme as it relates specifically to said state, and further describes the details of the January 6 riot, and the ways in which the violent assault on the Capitol building was used not only to pressure Mike Pence and to delay certification of the vote (which succeeded), while Trump and Rudy Juliani made phone calls to various officials to pressure them to flip, but interestingly, the very fact that the certification process was delayed at all was then actually used by Eastman to dishonestly claim the ECA had already been violated (congress was delayed in their debate, from point of gavel, beyond their 2 hour window, due to the Capitol grounds and building being invaded). Eastman used that opportunity to send an email to Pence’s counsel: “So now that the precedent has been set that the Electoral Count Act is not quite so sacrosanct as was previously claimed, I implore you to consider one more relatively minor violation and adjourn for 10 days to allow the legislatures to finish their investigations, as well as to allow a full forensic audit of the massive amount of illegal activity that has occurred here.” How sneaky.

The Mar-A-Lago classified documents case reveals an absolute circus of games and flagrant disregard for sensitive information, as Trump lied and obstructed throughout the entire process, moved boxes so that officials and even his own lawyer could not retrieve them, along with attempts to delete security footage of precisely these incidents. We’ve heard the tapes of Trump sharing and acknowledging the illegal nature of his possession of these documents, 102 of which with classified marking were eventually recovered.

None of this seems to matter anymore given subsequent Supreme Court rulings on the King-like criminal immunity of presidents, and the American public does not seem to know or care about the violence done to their civic structure and constitutional rights, nor the laws and institutions that form the very bedrock of the Republic. Perhaps they will care about some of the abysmal trade policies as those begin to have palpable consequences, and maybe the ridiculous Epstein conspiracies will do some lasting reputational damage where seemingly nothing else has. Who knows.

[Nicky]

This is simply a compilation of the four indictments. The writing style and formatting does vary between them. It is useful for anyone that wants to understand what Trump and his co-conspirators are actually being charged with. Or gifting to a friend that genuinely believes he's being indicted for 'free speech'. There is no commentary, which I find disappointing because that's what opinion broadcasters such as Velshi are known for.

[Shaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the crucible of justice, decency, integrity, and intelligence, there emerges a stark imperative: Donald Trump must face the cold, unyielding embrace of prison. The cacophony of his transgressions reverberates through the hallowed halls of democracy, leaving an indelible stain on the collective consciousness of the nation.

1. Trump's legacy is one of insurrection, a dark symphony of political discourse sullied and cheapened. He has wielded his influence like a blunt instrument, assaulting the very fabric of our society. The seeds of division, hatred, and fear that he has sown among the diverse and hardworking people of this nation threaten the very essence of what makes America great – the myriad acts of small kindness that define us. His litany of lies, cheats, and theft from the nation he vowed to protect is a corruption unparalleled in the annals of American presidential history.

Trump, a bully of the highest order, dismisses, jeers, and insults those beneath him, yet his fragile ego recoils when confronted. His insatiable appetite for power has led him to assault, insult, blackmail, and bribe, leaving a trail of decay in his wake.

2. The man's hypocrisy is laid bare for all to see, a testament to his infantile nature. From puerile name-calling to the absurdity of his tweets, Trump's lack of forethought is on full display. His attacks on President Obama for playing golf pale in comparison to his own golfing escapades. He clamors for personal information disclosure while shielding his own tax returns and academic transcripts from scrutiny. His unrelenting obsession with discrediting others while whining about the lack of acknowledgment for his own purported successes is the epitome of hypocrisy.

3. Trump's life is a carnival of fraud, a testament to his allegiance to the altar of deceit. Tax evasions, Emolument Clause violations, and profiteering from the presidency form the grotesque tableau of his presidency. His disregard for the rule of law and the sanctity of public service is unparalleled.

4. Beyond the political realm, Trump's abuse of women stands as an indelible mark on his character. From E Jean Carroll to the late Ivana Trump, his record of misogynistic behavior is indefensible.

In conclusion, Donald Trump poses a clear and present danger to the very foundations of the Constitution and the ideals upon which America was built. To turn a blind eye to his transgressions is to sign America's death certificate. Trump is devoid of empathy, decency, honor, integrity, and intelligence. His life is a tableau of greed, bigotry, debauchery, ineptitude, and criminality. Like a tyrant descending into an abyss of insanity, he threatens to burn the nation without a moment's hesitation. The imperative is clear – for justice to prevail, for the sanctity of our democracy to be preserved, Donald Trump must find himself behind bars.

[Zachary]

The story of Trump's crimes told in these indictments are not at all surprising, but it is all quite disturbing. Four indictments are included, US v. Trump (DC) for his efforts to overturn the will of the people in the 2020 election, US v. Trump (Florida) for his stealing, disclosing, and hiding classified documents, Georgia v. Trump his criminal conspiracy to steal the election and interfere with election materials, and NY v. Trump, the least detailed, regarding falsifying business records.

Each of the indictments can be read online, in fact, I had already started going through them prior to getting this book, there is not any material a reader would miss out on if they read the indictments that way, but it is nice to have them all in book form, which made it more convenient for reading and marking.

The former presidents efforts to undermine the rule of law and attempt to tear the Constitution to shreds has been well documented. That being the case, the misty illuminating read to me was the second indictment. I knew how careless he had been with classified information, but seeing the descriptions of some of the recovered documents was illuminating. Trump's actions clearly posed a risk not only to our national security, but many of our international allies. I imagine it will take a lot of time to rebuild the trust of those allies.

[Fuuma]

Um. I guess dnf at 6%?

I was really hoping for commentary and translation of these indictments. Something beyond just reading the legal documents, because I can download the pdfs and read those whenever I want. I do not want. Legalese takes so much mental effort to read and I can't afford to spend the energy there.

Ali's introduction is great. Easy to read, easy to understand, makes a good point. But then it's just dry, confusing language from there on out. I made it maybe 10 mobile phone pages before I realized I was not going to be able to do this. I had to read a paragraph like 3 times just to parse wtf the nouns and the verbs were doing and... look my tbr is over 1000 books long. I can't afford this kind of a time sink.

Ali, if you wanted me to read these things, you needed to either highlight the action words or do it like those high school Shakespeare books that have the original on the left and a modern translation on the right. This is not accessible to me. I'm smart but I'm adhd and very tired. The lawyer has to spend extra words on being too specific and simultaneously vagueblog vague. I needed all that cut out. Or I would have just downloaded the pdfs and read them already.

[Taylor Jacks]

To the best of my knowledge, this is just the indictments and counts that Trump is being charged with in book form. It is really difficult for me to read web documents, so having this information written as an actual book that I could hold in my hands and flip the pages was incredibly helpful.

I didn't read this book because I wanted to argue one way or another, but rather, because I wanted to know what Trump was actually being charged with and what the court documents contained. If you are interested in the four indictments at all and like me, you would struggle to read a black and white online text document, this was a pretty helpful resource. I recommend reading and forming your own thoughts. For me, it was insightful and very, very unsettling.

[Tim Scanlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was unaware of this narrative, the complete compilation of the charges against the treasonous entity to which I refer to as "the Putin-asset."But at a DC bookstore where I often have dinner I saw it, and purchased it, then read it.

We hear various descriptions of the laws, but the description is inadequate. While I'm not an attorney, I have worked in the law, and know even constitutional law pretty well for a layman.

it is of utmost importance that the aforementioned entity be convicted and suffer the same consequences--punishment--to which anyone else would be subject. I recommend this took to for everyone to be well-versed in the laws by which he will be convicted.

[Regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is simply copies of the four indictments -- with the superseding indictment in the Florida documents case in the main portion and the original one in an appendix. I anticipated that Velshi would offer readers some sort of commentary but it's just the indictments. That said, as he says in the preface, it will be handy to have nearby as the different trials occur instead of printing them out or saving them separately, especially since you do have to pay for copies if you download them from Pacer.

[Olive Bensler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a must-read for anyone with a vote in the upcoming election. However, I do wish more was done to “translate” the indictments. As a trained legal professional, the last thing I want to do in my free time is read more legalese and - for the average person - much of the text might seem mundane/repetitive/confusing. Nonetheless, it is worth at least attempting to read and expose yourself to the realities of Trump’s conduct.

[Kellylynn]

Simple publishing of the indictments, great source to fall back on as the trials proceed.

I actually won this one in one of the giveaways.

[Lucinda Meyd]

Interesting to read what exactly the accusations were against Trump

[Donna Flickinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A go to book for explanations and details of Trump's indictments.

[Betty Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was difficult to read as I am not a lawyer but it was worth it to see the actual charged rather than depend on pundits

[Zachary Train · Rating 2 out of 5]

In my opinion, the author (in this case, editor) does a poor job of providing the reader with context. Other than a brief introduction, the rest of the book is just the four indictments copied and pasted in. This is particularly frustrating because the New York indictment provides no context of the alleged actions to warrant the charges, and it’ll surely leave the reader wondering the actions these charges are based off of.

I would honestly recommend saving your money and just reading the publicly-accessible (and free to access) indictments themselves.