Good Morning America looked at the pending lawsuits against Trump.
“We are back with the court cases against Donald Trump. Four ongoing cases involving dozens of charges. Aaron Katersky has been tracking them all,” George Stephanopoulos said.
“Could reclaiming the presidency be Donald Trump’s get out of jail free card? Trump said he would fire special counsel Jack Smith within two seconds, erasing the two federal prosecutions he brought,” Katersky said.
One over subverting the 2020 election, the other for retaining classified documents. Smith could try to turn over the January 6th case to career prosecutors, maybe issue a report about his findings. But Trump, in all likelihood, would face no legal consequences. The classified documents case has already been dismissed.The special counsel’s appeal to reinstate it would likely be withdrawn. Trump’s criminal case in Georgia produced this iconic image of the campaign, his mug shot.
“Any trial would have to wait until 2029. Trump is scheduled to be sentenced later this month for falsifying business records. It’s hard to see how he faces any meaningful sentence. An appeals course in New York’s considering whether Trump must pay a civil fraud judgment. It’s possible Trump will begin his presidency owing nearly half billion dollars.”
Dan Abrams explained what happens to the hush money case.
“Remember, his lawyers have been pushing to delay this. Seems that was a smart decision. Because now you don’t just have a criminal defendant, you have a president-elect who is going to be sentenced. I do not see any way that this judge now sentences him to any kind of meaningful time,” he said.
He said the three civil cases are “a different game. That’s about money. He can’t now take back those judgments that were held against him. Very different when you’ve got the government trying to take away someone’s freedom, as you do in a criminal case, versus taking away someone’s money. The money judgment will remain. Some from the government, some from a private plaintiff. The appeals will continue. He may still owe all of that money even as president.”
He’ll just use bribes to pay for it. It won’t come out of his own pocket.