Breaking Down Donald Trump’s Many Legal Problems

Today we catch up on all the lawsuits and investigations centered on Donald Trump.

Tracking Trump: The Lawsuits And Investigations Involving The Former President

Trump’s legal troubles are back in the news. But with so many investigations and lawsuits swirling, it can be hard to keep track of them all. Forbes is here to help, with the most-thorough compendium of Trump’s legal problems published anywhere.

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Trump Has Been At The Center Of 40 Recent Lawsuits And Investigations

Your correspondent joined Brittany Lewis in “Forbes Newsroom” to discuss Donald Trump’s legal issues.

Breaking Down The Case Against Trump: New York Prosecutors Must Prove Complex Legal Theory—And It Could Be Risky

“The Manhattan district attorney is reportedly toying with what experts have called an untested legal theory in potentially bringing charges against former President Donald Trump—adding to the unprecedented nature of a case that could mark the first-ever indictment of a former president,” reports Sara Dorn.

The primary charge prosecutors are considering is whether Trump falsified business records when the Trump Organization reimbursed his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen for payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign for the presidency in exchange for her silence about her alleged 2006 affair with Trump, according to multiple reports.

Prosecutors must prove that Trump orchestrated the payments, but legal experts have said his lawyers could argue that Cohen made the deal on Trump’s behalf and without his knowledge (though Cohen has explicitly, and repeatedly, said he did so at Trump’s direction).

Who Is Robert Costello? Trump Ally Testified Right Before Grand Jury Paused Proceedings

“The criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump in New York City screeched to a halt this week after an attorney named Robert Costello provided testimony to the grand jury that sought to undercut the credibility of a key witness, Michael Cohen—raising questions about the future of the legally perilous case,” reports Sara Dorn.

Costello, a former legal advisor to Michael Cohen and longtime Trump ally, told reporters he attacked Cohen’s credibility to the grand jury on Monday as it weighs charges against Trump related to hush-money payments Cohen made to Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about her alleged affair with Trump.

Costello, who appeared before the jury at the behest of Trump’s lawyers, according to the New York Times, said Cohen admitted to him that he made the payments to Daniels on his own volition, contradicting Cohen’s claims that Trump directed him to make the deal and raising questions about a key element in the case against Trump.

Donald Trump Shares Fake AI-Created Image Of Himself On Truth Social

“Images created with artificial intelligence have flooded social media in recent months, with some people using AI tools like Midjourney to imagine what it would look like for Donald Trump to be arrested. But the former president isn’t opposed to AI-created photos. Trump shared an image of himself on Thursday morning over at Truth Social. And it’s almost certainly fake,” reports Matt Novak.

The image, which has been circulating on pro-Trump Twitter since at least Saturday, shows the former president on one knee praying. At first glance it even looks like it could be a real photo. But anyone who looks closer will notice the telltale signs of AI.

For starters, you always want to look at the hands. AI image creation tools have tremendous difficulty with generating realistic hands, and this image is no different. Trump appears to be missing his ring finger on his right hand, at the very least, and his thumbs are grafted on in a jumbled mess that seems to defy basic human anatomy.

Possible Mug Shot And Fingerprinting Have Made Trump More Appealing To Bettors

“Former President Donald Trump has regained his previous high in the Republican presidential nomination odds, according to the political prediction market PredictIt. Trump’s ‘stock’ climbed back to 41 cents Thursday, edging out Florida Governor Ron DeSantis by a single penny,” reports Brandon Kochkodin.

Since late January, Trump and DeSantis have been neck and neck, with DeSantis holding a slight lead most of the time on PredictIt, a website that allows users to make predictions on political events…

DeSantis took an 8-cent lead on Sunday. While news of an impending arrest would have sent any other candidate into a tailspin, Trump has proven once again he’s anything but an ordinary politician.