Here’s a hypothetical situation for you: The 2020 election is over with, Joe Biden has won and been sworn in as the 46th President of the United States.
Donald Trump, on the other hand, boards Air Force One and is flown to Florida, where he is served with news that he’s been indicted by a grand jury in New York and must appear in court to enter a plea.
Before you dismiss such a scenario as not being realistic, you need to consider a fascinating new article from Jeff Wise which just appeared in New York Magazine. Wise begins by noting that there’s no shortage of potential crimes Trump could be charged with:
“Considering the number of crimes he has committed, the time span over which he has committed them, and the range of jurisdictions in which his crimes have taken place, his potential legal exposure is breathtaking. More than a dozen investigations are already under way against him and his associates. Even if only one or two of them result in criminal charges, the proceedings that follow will make the O. J. Simpson trial look like an afternoon in traffic court.”
While we know that Trump is already under investigation by both federal and state prosecutors, the most likely indictment would be handed down by a grand jury impaneled by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. and involve two financial crimes: Falsifying business records (a misdemeanor) and tax fraud, which is a felony and can easily be proven by comparing Trump’s business records to his tax returns.