READ: Trump indictment and statement of facts related to hush money payment | CNN Politics

Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, has been formally charged with 34 felony counts in an indictment that could have significant implications for his legacy and future. The unsealed charges stem from payments made to silence women who accused him of misconduct during his presidential campaign.

According to the indictment, released on Tuesday by a grand jury, Trump allegedly orchestrated a scheme to pay hush money to several individuals, including Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels, in order to prevent them from speaking out about their alleged encounters with him. The payments, totaling over $1 million, were allegedly made through intermediaries such as lawyer Michael Cohen.

Cohen, who has already pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges related to the payments, is expected to play a key role in the trial of Trump. In fact, Cohen's cooperation with prosecutors could serve as crucial evidence against the former President.

The indictment also reveals that Trump allegedly engaged in "multiple schemes" to pay off the women and silence them, including using his company's funds without authorization. These actions, according to the court documents, are considered serious crimes under New York law.

As a result of these charges, Trump is now facing significant scrutiny and potential consequences for his actions during his presidency. The case could set a precedent for future investigations into presidential misconduct and may have far-reaching implications for the office itself.

The exact details of the indictment and statement of facts are available online, allowing citizens to access the evidence presented in court.

This is like something outta a bad movie . Like, who gets charged with 34 felonies? That's just insane! And these allegations about him paying off women to shut them up? It's like he thought he was above the law or something. I mean, what's next? Is he gonna try to silence his own lawyers or something?

But seriously, this is a big deal. If Trump gets convicted, it's gonna be huge for his legacy and for the office of the presidency. It shows that no one is above the law, not even the President. And I'm all for holding people accountable, but at the same time, I feel bad for him because he's been through so much already.

It's also crazy to think about how it might impact his future plans. Will he try to run again? Can he ever go back to being a successful businessman or whatever? The world is just gonna have to wait and see what happens next .

I'm kinda surprised Trump got charged with 34 felony counts! It's like, he was already known for being a bit dodgy, but this is on a whole other level . The fact that it all came down from payments to women who accused him of misconduct during his campaign just shows how low some people will go to silence the truth .

I think Cohen's cooperation with prosecutors is a big deal here - if he spills the beans, Trump could be in big trouble . It's interesting that they're using New York law as the basis for these charges, since it's not exactly friendly territory for Republicans .

Either way, this case is gonna have some serious implications for future presidents and their accountability . Can't help but wonder what other skeletons are gonna come out of Trump's closet from here .

this is getting serious , like trumps legacy is on the line now. gotta wonder how this whole thing went down, all that hush money . it's crazy that michael cohen was able to play a part in this whole scheme and now he's cooperating with prosecutors? that's wild . i feel bad for karen mcdougal and stormy daniels, they've been through so much already . hope justice is served here and no one else gets hurt .

Trump's whole thing is just wild... I mean, who pays people off to keep quiet about whatever they're talking about? It just feels like a huge abuse of power. And that it happened during his presidency makes me even more shook. Like, how did he think he could just get away with this?

And now the fact that Michael Cohen is cooperating with prosecutors... that's gonna be super interesting to watch play out. I'm curious to see if Trump tries to fight it or what his defense is gonna be like. The thought of all these women coming forward and sharing their stories... it's just heartbreaking for everyone involved.

I feel bad for the people who were affected by this, you know? Like, they're just trying to live their lives and then suddenly they're thrust into this huge scandal. It's just not right.

I'm not buying all this tech stuff ... I mean, what's with these fancy indictments? It's just a bunch of lawyers trying to figure out how to make money off people's mistakes. And another thing, why do we need an indictment to tell us that some rich guy did something shady? Can't we just use our own common sense and not need all this fancy paperwork?

And what's with the payments through lawyer Michael Cohen? Sounds like a bunch of hush money to me ... I mean, shouldn't someone be held accountable for making these payments? And why is Trump trying to silence the women who came forward? It just seems so... suspicious.

I'm not saying Trump is innocent or anything, but this whole thing does seem pretty suspicious. And what about all the other people involved in this scheme? Don't they deserve some attention too?

This whole thing is just so messed up... I mean, I get that Trump's gotta be held accountable for his actions, but 34 felony counts? That's a lotta charges. It's like, come on, the man was already pretty divisive during his presidency, and now this?

I'm still trying to wrap my head around how far it's come from when everyone thought he'd never face any real consequences for all that stuff. And now, here we are... I guess it's a good thing the law is what it is, you know? The fact that his former lawyer is cooperating and all that could really make or break this whole case.

But still, it's kinda sad that it had to come to this. I mean, can't we just learn from our mistakes without having to go through all this drama?

this is wild stuff... think about it, trump's been dodging this for years, but now the gloves are off and he's got some serious explaining to do. i feel bad for his legacy, it's gonna be hard to recover from this. but at the same time, justice has to be served, you know? it's crazy that we're seeing this happen during his presidency, like it was just a normal part of his term or something... nope, now it's all coming back to haunt him and i'm sure he'll have some lawyer-speak to defend himself, but what's gonna come out in the end?

man this is crazy like what's next? Trump's gonna be in a cell before you know it remember when Nixon resigned? now we're seeing some real drama go down I'm not surprised though, all those scandals during his campaign were just simmering under the surface... it's about time someone held him accountable and can you believe Cohen is gonna be the one to testify against him? that's wild anyway, this whole thing feels like a major game-changer for Trump's legacy and I'm curious to see how it all plays out

just saw this news and i gotta say it's wild that trump is being charged with all these felony counts... like, 34 felony counts?! that's some serious stuff. i feel bad for the women who were allegedly silenced by him, you know? it's not right that they had to be paid off to keep quiet. and what's crazy is that it was done through his company's funds without authorization . michael cohen's cooperation with prosecutors is gonna be super important in this trial, i'm sure. it's also wild to think about the implications for future presidents... if trump can get away with all this, what else could be going on behind closed doors? anyway, gotta keep an eye on this one

this is wild news dude I'm still trying to wrap my head around it Trump gets charged with 34 felony counts over some shady payments? like what even is that? I mean, I've heard rumors about his dealings for years but I never thought we'd see the day he's held accountable . The fact that Cohen is cooperating and could be key witness is huge. I'm both fascinated and terrified to see how this all plays out. What do you guys think will happen next? Will Trump get off scot-free or will this be a major blow to his legacy?

I'm telling you, this is about time someone brought some accountability to Trump's shady dealings . I mean, come on, $1 million in hush money? That's not just shady, that's downright illegal. And for him to try and cover it up by using his company's funds without authorization? Nice try, Donald .

And let's be real, Michael Cohen already showed some balls by cooperating with the prosecutors, so I'm expecting him to spill all the tea about Trump's antics. This whole thing is like a big ol' soap opera, but instead of actresses and actors, it's actual powerful people with a lot at stake .

I do think this case could set some serious precedents for future investigations into presidential misconduct, though. I mean, we've all seen some questionable behavior from politicians over the years, so it's about time someone was held to account . Bring on the truth and let the people decide what they think of Trump's legacy .

Trump's situation is getting messy . I mean, who pays someone to keep quiet about a possible affair? It just doesn't sit right. And now he's being charged with 34 felony counts? That's some serious business. The fact that Cohen is cooperating with the prosecutors is definitely going to be interesting to watch. It'll be like a real-life game of chess, except instead of pieces, it's people's lives and freedom on the line .