Supreme Court rules presidents have immunity for official acts
Supreme Court grants presidents immunity from prosecution for official acts.
Event / Security
Trump Legal Cases
Criminal conviction, civil fraud case, and post-trial developments involving Trump and associates
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2026-08-11 to 2026-11-08 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 13 Jun, 01:07 UTC
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What happened
Judge Hellerstein rejects Trump's bid to move hush money case to federal court
Federal Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein rejected Donald Trump's effort to move his hush money conviction case from New York state court to federal court and have it dismissed on presidential immunity grounds. This was the third time Hellerstein blocked the motion, finding that Trump's reasons were "neither new nor legally sufficient" and that he "failed to show good cause and diligence."
Judge Hellerstein holds oral arguments on Trump's removal motion
Judge Hellerstein held oral arguments in February 2025 on Trump's motion to move the case to federal court. During the arguments, Hellerstein criticized Trump's legal team for strategic decisions following the Supreme Court's immunity ruling, noting they should have immediately sought to move the case to federal court rather than first requesting dismissal in state court.
Trump convicted of 34 felony counts in May 2024 hush money case
Donald Trump was convicted in May 2024 of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels. The conviction made Trump the first former and current U.S. president to be convicted of a crime. Trump was sentenced to an unconditional discharge, leaving his conviction intact but sparing him any punishment.
Supreme Court rules presidents cannot be prosecuted for official acts
In July 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that presidents and ex-presidents cannot be prosecuted for official acts and prosecutors cannot use official acts as evidence that unofficial actions were illegal. Trump's legal team cited this ruling as grounds for moving his hush money case to federal court and having the conviction overturned.
Federal appeals court orders Hellerstein to reconsider Trump's removal motion
In November 2024, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered Judge Hellerstein to reconsider his earlier denial of Trump's motion to move the case to federal court, finding that he had failed to consider "important issues relevant" to the president's request. The appellate panel instructed Hellerstein to review evidence Trump claimed was related to official acts and determine if Trump had "diligently sought" to have the case moved to federal court.
Cohen publishes memoir detailing Trump relationship
In 2020, Michael Cohen published a tell-all memoir titled "Disloyal: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump," in which he called Trump an "organized crime don" and "master manipulator." Despite the critical tone, Cohen also wrote that he still cared for Trump and had affection for him.
New York civil fraud trial finds Trump engaged in fraud through asset misrepresentation
In a 2023 civil fraud trial in New York, the court found that Trump and his companies had engaged in fraud by exaggerating his wealth for decades. Michael Cohen testified, alleging Trump had a history of misrepresenting the value of assets to gain favorable loan terms and tax benefits. A New York appeals court later threw out a $550 million judgment against Trump in that case.
FBI searches Cohen's office, home, and hotel room
FBI agents searched Michael Cohen's office, home, and hotel room in 2018, testing the once-close relationship between Cohen and Trump in a dramatic fashion.
Cohen pleads guilty to campaign finance violations and lying to Congress
Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a Trump Tower project in Russia and to campaign finance violations in which he implicated Trump in payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels and Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal. He was sentenced to three years in prison.
Michael Cohen resubmits pardon application to Trump White House
Michael Cohen resubmitted a pardon application to the Trump White House that had been denied by the previous administration. Cohen stated he had not yet received acknowledgement of the application and planned to follow up on Friday. He told CNN he rewrote the cover letter of the previous application, changing the name from President Joe Biden to President Donald Trump.
Cohen claims he testified under duress in Trump cases
In a Substack post in January 2026, Michael Cohen claimed he felt pressured and coerced to provide information and testimony that would satisfy the government's desire to build cases against and secure convictions against Trump. He stated this applied to both the criminal hush money case and the civil fraud case.
Trump convicted in 2024 hush money trial with Cohen as key witness
In 2024, Michael Cohen was the star witness in Trump's criminal hush money trial, which resulted in a 34-count felony conviction. Cohen testified that Trump promised to reimburse him for money he fronted to make payments to an adult film actor and former Playboy model, and that he was constantly updated on behind-the-scenes efforts to bury stories feared harmful to the 2016 campaign. Cohen faced no punishment despite his testimony.
Trump appears on Michael Cohen's radio show
President Donald Trump appeared on the radio show of Michael Cohen on 77 WABC-AM in New York on Thursday. The interview, part of which aired Thursday evening and will air in full on Sunday, marked a public reunion between Trump and Cohen, who previously testified against Trump in criminal and civil cases. During the interview, Trump told Cohen: "They weaponized you like nobody's ever been weaponized, like few have been" and "I respect the fact that you recanted everything you said."
Cohen testifies before Congress about Trump's asset misrepresentation
Michael Cohen testified before Congress in 2019, alleging that Trump had a history of misrepresenting the value of assets to gain favorable loan terms and tax benefits.
Sam Bankman-Fried's 25-year prison sentence upheld
The appeals court upheld Bankman-Fried's 25-year prison sentence that was imposed in March 2024 by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan. The sentence was based on his conviction for defrauding FTX customers and investors of billions of dollars.
FTX collapse erases over $11 billion in customer, investor and lender funds
When FTX collapsed in November 2022, customers, investors and lenders were left short over $11 billion. Specifically, customers lost approximately $8 billion, investors lost $1.7 billion, and lenders were shorted $1.3 billion. FTX had been valued at $32 billion earlier in 2022 and was widely regarded as one of the largest cryptocurrency trading platforms in the world.
Federal appeals court upholds Sam Bankman-Fried's fraud conviction
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Manhattan upheld Sam Bankman-Fried's fraud conviction on June 12, 2026. The court found that the evidence against him was 'conservatively stated, robust' and that his 2023 trial was fair. Bankman-Fried was convicted of seven counts including wire fraud, securities fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy related to the collapse of FTX.
Sam Bankman-Fried diverted over $8 billion in customer funds to Alameda Research
Federal prosecutors accused Bankman-Fried of stealing over $8 billion in FTX customer deposits and transferring them to Alameda Research, a cryptocurrency trading firm he also controlled. The money was allegedly used to cover trading losses, finance investments, purchase luxury real estate, and fund political contributions. While publicly reassuring customers that their funds were safe, Bankman-Fried was simultaneously using FTX as his personal source of funds.
Sam Bankman-Fried submits pardon request to President Trump
On June 9, 2026, the Justice Department revealed that Sam Bankman-Fried submitted a request for a presidential pardon from President Donald Trump. Bankman-Fried stated he is 'absolutely' interested in receiving a pardon but acknowledged he is at the president's mercy. Trump previously stated he has 'no intention of pardoning' Bankman-Fried. The pardon request status is listed as 'pending' on the Department of Justice's website.
Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
In March 2024, Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison following his conviction on seven criminal counts. Judge Lewis Kaplan criticized Bankman-Fried's trial testimony, saying he repeatedly committed perjury and was 'often evasive, hair-splitting, dodging questions.' Bankman-Fried is currently incarcerated at a low-security federal prison near Santa Barbara, California, with a scheduled release date of 2044.
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2 alternative perspectives
Federal court orders judge to reconsider Trump's removal motion in hush money case
Federal appeals court orders reconsideration of Trump's removal motion in hush money case.
New York court finds Trump engaged in fraud through asset misrepresentation
New York civil court found Trump committed fraud through misrepresenting assets.
Cohen's testimony and guilty pleas anchor Trump's legal timeline
Cohen's guilty pleas and testimony as key witness anchored Trump's 2024 hush money conviction.
Bankman-Fried requests presidential pardon from Trump administration
Bankman-Fried petitions Trump for pardon after conviction and sentence affirmation.
Appeals court upholds Bankman-Fried's fraud conviction and 25-year sentence
Appeals court upholds Bankman-Fried's fraud conviction and 25-year sentence.