3 days ago
A year after his felony conviction, is Trump still a felon?
President Donald Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records one year ago on May 30, making him the first former president to be convicted of a crime.
A few months later, he would become the first president-elect with a criminal conviction. On his way back to the White House, his legal troubles, including two federal indictments and a Georgia election racketeering case, took a back seat.
In the hush money case where Trump was found guilty, he received an "unconditional discharge" sentence, meaning he received no prison time or probation. The two federal cases were dropped in accordance with a longstanding Department of Justice policy not to prosecute a sitting president. And the Georgia case hit significant delays when a state appeals court disqualified the district attorney.
But while Trump may not be facing legal consequences while leading the country, that doesn't mean his criminal record has disappeared forever.
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Trump was charged in four cases, but only one went to trial and resulted in a conviction.
In the New York case that led to his criminal conviction, Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records. Prosecutors argued Trump disguised reimbursements for a $130,000 hush money payment for porn star Stormy Daniels as legal expenses ahead of the 2016 election.
In two federal cases that were dismissed after his reelection, Trump was indicted for allegedly conspiring to overturn the 2020 election and for allegedly mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House. Both charges have been dropped, and special counsel Jack Smith has resigned.
Trump was also indicted in an election racketeering case in Georgia. He is one of 15 defendants in the case who have not already pleaded guilty, but the case's future is uncertain after Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' disqualification. If she remains off the case after further appeal, it would need to be reassigned to move forward to trial, experts previously told USA TODAY.
Trump's sentencing for criminal conviction in the hush money case occurred on Jan. 10, 2025. Trump received an "unconditional discharge," sentence, meaning he received no prison time or probation.
Judge Juan Merchan wished Trump "Godspeed" on his second presidency.
You can listen to the recording of the sentencing here.
Yes, though calling someone a "felon" is considered outdated language. Trump's felony conviction has not yet been erased through appeal or expungement.
Yes.
Trump is trying to move his criminal case from state to federal court, ABC News reported, and an appeals court is set to hear arguments on June 11.
Contributing: Bart Jansen, Aysha Bagchi, Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@ Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Trump a felon? A year later, he is fighting the guilty verdict
