READ: Trump indictment related to hush money payment

Trump Faces Felony Charges in Unsealed Hush Money Indictment

A federal grand jury has formally charged former US President Donald Trump with 34 felony counts in a shocking development that marks the latest escalation of his ongoing legal battles. The indictment, unsealed on Tuesday, relates to a hush money payment made by Trump's then-lawyer Michael Cohen in 2016.

Cohen, who pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance laws related to the payment, had admitted to arranging for $500,000 to be paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels just days before the 2016 presidential election. The payment was meant to keep quiet about an alleged affair between Trump and Daniels, which she denied.

In a stunning turn of events, the US Department of Justice has now charged Trump with multiple counts of falsifying business records, wire fraud, and other financial crimes related to the payment. The indictment alleges that Trump and his associates used shell companies to conceal the true purpose of the payment from regulators and the public.

The 34-count indictment is a serious blow to Trump's reputation and marks the first time he has been charged with any felony offenses. Cohen's guilty plea had already led to significant fallout for Trump, including an FBI raid on Cohen's home in 2018 and a Congressional investigation into his business dealings.

Read the full indictment and statement of facts here to learn more about the charges against Donald Trump.

omg can't believe this is real ... like what was trump thinking? paying some pornstar $500k just days before election? that's wild and now he's facing felony charges? 34 counts?!?! that's a lot of trouble so many questions still, like how did they find out about this all these years later? seems like there's still a whole lot more to come on this one... can't wait for the next update

can't believe this is happening!! trump's empire is literally crumbling how did it get to this point? i mean, we all knew he was shady but 34 felony counts?!? what's next? will he even show up to his own trial lol? this whole thing just feels like one big mess and the worst part is, i'm sure there are still so many people out there who think he's innocent anyway, this changes everything. we'll have to see how the whole thing plays out...

omg can't believe what's going down with trump this is crazy he's always been shady but I never thought it'd come to this like how did he not get caught sooner? so now he's facing felony charges and 34 counts no less that's insane the way he used shell companies to hide the payment from regulators what a scam artist still can't believe cohen had to take the fall for trump's mistakes but at least he's being held accountable

I'm watching this whole thing unfold like a soap opera . Honestly, I never thought I'd see the day where someone as high-profile as Trump would be facing felony charges. It's crazy to think that all these years ago, he was bragging about getting away with stuff and now he's staring down 34 felony counts . The fact that Cohen pleaded guilty already had consequences for Trump, but this new indictment is a whole different ball game. I hope the courts get to weigh in on this and bring some much-needed transparency to all these shady dealings . It'll be interesting to see how his team responds to these charges

Man I'm just sitting here trying to wrap my head around this whole thing ... it feels like we're living in a soap opera, you know? Like, one day you're the President, the next day you're facing felony charges and your reputation is in shambles . It's crazy to think about how far down the rabbit hole Trump has taken us with his actions and decisions... it's like he's always playing this game of cat and mouse, trying to stay one step ahead of the law but ultimately just digging himself a deeper hole. And what's really sad is that we're all along for the ride, watching this train wreck unfold on our screens . It's like, how did it come to this? How did the man who was supposed to be leading the free world end up in this situation?

can you believe this?! so trump is being charged with felony stuff and it's like wow, finally some accountability right? but like 34 counts? that's a lot man i mean i get it, he was involved in some shady dealings back in the day, but felony charges? that's not something you hear about politicians often. and what really gets me is that michael cohen, who apparently set up the whole thing, got in trouble for it first. so like what did we just learn here? that people will do whatever they can to get ahead, no matter the cost?

this is crazy... like how far down the rabbit hole does it get? trump making headlines for all the wrong reasons again. i'm just wondering what's gonna happen next, is he gonna try to fight these charges or just admit defeat already? seems like a long time coming considering everything that's happened so far also can't help but think about how this whole thing started with stormy daniels and her alleged affair... mind blown

So this is what happens when you think you're above the law, right? Trump's playing with fire now, folks! He's always been good at spinning a good narrative, but this time he might be facing some serious consequences.

I mean, think about it, if Trump's associates were using shell companies to conceal financial info from regulators and the public, that's basically obstruction of justice. And let's not forget, Cohen already pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance laws - now we're talking felony charges?

It's like he thought he could just waltz in here after being impeached once and expect to skate free on his next misstep? Not gonna happen, Donny! The system's got eyes on you, and this time it's the Feds.

I'm literally shook by this news! I mean, who would've thought that Trump would be facing felony charges? It's crazy how far he's fallen, especially considering what happened back in 2016 when Cohen made that hush money payment. I feel bad for the guy who got caught up in all that drama - Stormy Daniels, you know?

I think this is a big deal because it shows that even former presidents aren't above the law... yet? It's also kinda sad to see Trump's reputation take another hit like this. His team should've seen this coming, but I guess they thought he was untouchable.

This whole thing just reminds me that no one is truly immune from consequences... not even the most powerful people in the world!

OMG, like what?? This is huge!!! I'm literally shaking my head... it's just so sad that this has been going on for so long... like, didn't we think we were past all this drama by now? The fact that he's being charged with 34 felony counts is wild... like, what even is the definition of 'former' president anymore? Anyways, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that justice gets served and everyone involved can just move on from this toxic situation

Wow this is crazy what's going on with trump it seems like he's getting hit from all sides now and it's gonna be hard for him to come out of this one I'm not surprised that the indictment has 34 felony counts that's a lot of charges but I guess you can't sugarcoat truth anymore

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this... Trump faces felony charges? Like, how did we even get here? The whole Stormy Daniels thing was already shady, but come on! 34 counts of falsifying business records and wire fraud? That's some serious drama. And what about Cohen, who already pleaded guilty? Did he rat him out or something? Anyway, this is huge... I mean, Trump's got a reputation for being a master of manipulation, but this takes the cake. Or should I say, it takes the hush money

.. like I don't know what's more shocking – the fact that Trump is being charged with felonies or that he thought this whole thing would just magically disappear ... anyway, it got me thinking, have you ever seen someone try to hide something they did wrong? Like, we all do it sometimes, whether it's not telling our partner about a mistake we made or covering up some tiny white lie at work. But the problem is, when you try to hide things, it just gets harder and harder to keep them under wraps. Eventually, it'll come back to haunt you... so maybe this whole Trump thing can be seen as a lesson in being honest with yourself and others?

looks like trump's troubles are finally catching up with him at least now we can move on from all that drama... 34 felony counts is a lot, hope he gets the help he needs

this is getting outta hand what's next gonna be trump facing felony charges for making pizza? i mean, i'm all for holding people accountable but 34 felony counts seems a bit excessive don't get me wrong trump's been in some sketchy situations before but come on... source needed pls

omg u guys i cant even believe what just happened lol so like trump is finally facing felony charges over that whole hush money scandal idk what's gonna happen now he's been charged with like 34 counts of falsifying business records and wire fraud etc it's wild cuz his lawyer was trying to keep all this under wraps but the feds are like nope not anymore i feel bad for him tho because this is a huge blow to his rep but like he had it coming, right? also i wonder what's gonna happen to michael cohen now that he's testified against trump lol anyway can't wait to see how this all plays out

can you believe this? trump's empire is crumbling like a house of cards it seems like every day there's another scandal or lawsuit coming out of his name. I mean, 34 felony counts is insane - what's next? he's going to lose everything he's built in the last few decades. the fact that they're accusing him of using shell companies to cover up financial crimes just makes you wonder how far down the rabbit hole he's willing to go this is not a good look for America, but I guess when you're used to getting away with stuff, it takes a lot to bring someone down