Honestly, the headlines made it sound like a complex math riddle. Thirty-four. It's a specific, hefty number that dominated the news cycle for months. But when you strip away the cable news shouting matches and the 1,000-page legal filings, what were Trump’s 34 felony convictions for, exactly? Basically, it all comes down to a paper trail. Or more accurately, a trail of ledger entries, invoices, and checks that a Manhattan jury decided were lies.
They weren't 34 different crimes in the sense of 34 different bank robberies. It was one main event—a $130,000 payment to an adult film star—sliced into 34 pieces of paperwork. Each piece was labeled as a "legal expense." The jury said that was a fraud.
The "Catch and Kill" Blueprint
To understand the 34 counts, you have to look at the meeting that started it all. Back in 2015, at Trump Tower, Donald Trump, Michael Cohen, and David Pecker (the then-CEO of American Media Inc.) hatched a plan. It was called "catch and kill." The idea was simple: Pecker would use the National Enquirer to find damaging stories about Trump and buy them so they’d never see the light of day.
It worked a few times. They buried a story from a doorman. They buried a story from a former Playboy model. But the one that led to the felonies involved Stormy Daniels.
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Just weeks before the 2016 election, the Access Hollywood tape leaked. You remember the one—the "grab 'em" comment. The campaign was in a tailspin. Suddenly, the possibility of another scandal involving an affair was nuclear. So, Michael Cohen paid Stormy Daniels $130,000 out of his own pocket to keep her quiet.
Why a Misdemeanor Became a Felony
Here is where the legal "alchemy" happened. In New York, falsifying a business record is usually just a misdemeanor. It’s a slap on the wrist. To bump it up to a Class E felony, prosecutors had to prove that the records were faked to conceal or commit another crime.
District Attorney Alvin Bragg argued the "other crime" was a violation of New York Election Law Section 17-152. That law makes it a conspiracy to promote a candidate by "unlawful means." By hiding the hush money as legal fees, the prosecution argued Trump was trying to hide an illegal campaign contribution that helped him win the White House.
The jury didn't have to agree on what the specific "unlawful means" were. They just had to agree that the intent to hide a crime existed. And they did.
Breaking Down the 34 Counts
So, what are the actual 34 items? They aren't random. They are the specific documents used to reimburse Michael Cohen in 2017 while Trump was already in the Oval Office.
The "reimbursement" was actually $420,000. Why so much? They "grossed it up" so Cohen wouldn't lose money after paying taxes on it as "income," plus a $50,000 tech reimbursement and a $60,000 bonus.
Each count represents one specific document:
- 11 Invoices: Cohen sent monthly invoices for "services rendered" under a retainer agreement that the prosecution argued never existed.
- 11 Voucher Entries: The Trump Organization's internal accounting system logged these as "legal expenses."
- 12 Checks: These were the actual payments. Nine were signed by Trump personally; others were from his trust.
The Paper Trail Calendar
The counts cover a timeline from February 2017 to December 2017.
| Document Type | Count Range | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Invoices from Michael Cohen | 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31 | Submitted monthly for "legal services." |
| Voucher Entries | 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32 | Internal records labeling the money as a business expense. |
| Checks/Check Stubs | 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 34 | The actual money leaving the accounts. |
The Defense: "He Was Just Too Busy"
Trump’s legal team, led by Todd Blanche, didn't deny the money was paid. That would’ve been impossible with the checks sitting there in black and white. Instead, they argued that Michael Cohen was a "GLOAT"—the Greatest Liar of All Time.
They told the jury that Trump was the leader of the free world. He was busy. He wasn't looking at every invoice that crossed his desk. He saw "legal expense" and signed because Cohen was his lawyer. According to the defense, there was no "intent to defraud"—just a busy man paying his attorney for legitimate (if vaguely defined) work.
They also argued that the payments were meant to protect Trump's family from embarrassment, not to influence the election. But the jury didn't buy the "family protection" angle, likely because the payment only happened when the election was on the line, years after the alleged encounter.
What Happened During Sentencing?
This is the part that still trips people up. Even though he was convicted of 34 felonies, Trump didn't go to jail. After he won the 2024 election, the legal landscape shifted.
On January 10, 2025, Judge Juan Merchan sentenced Trump to an unconditional discharge.
Basically, that’s a legal way of saying "you’re convicted, but there’s no punishment." No prison. No probation. No fines. Merchan noted the "unique and remarkable set of circumstances," essentially acknowledging that sentencing a sitting President-elect to jail was a logistical and constitutional nightmare.
Trump maintains he did nothing wrong. He calls it a "witch hunt." His team is currently fighting to have the whole thing tossed out based on the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity, even though the hush money events happened before he was ever in office.
Why This Still Matters
Even without jail time, the "felon" label sticks in the history books. It changes how we talk about the presidency.
If you're trying to keep track of the fallout, here are the three things you should actually watch for:
- The Appeal: Trump’s lawyers are trying to wipe the convictions off the record entirely. If they succeed, those 34 counts vanish.
- The Immunity Ruling: The Supreme Court's view on "official acts" is the big hammer being used to challenge the verdict.
- Historical Precedent: Regardless of the sentence, this case established that a president's private business records are fair game for state prosecutors.
To stay informed, don't just read the headlines. Look for the actual court transcripts or the "Statement of Facts" released by the Manhattan DA. It’s dry reading, but it’s the only way to avoid the spin. You can find these on the New York Unified Court System website.