**"Trump is accused in Georgia: A look at the4 criminal charges brought against him"

Former US President Donald Trump and 18 of his allies have been charged in Georgia with conspiring to overturn his 2020 election defeat. The indictment unsealed on Monday is the fourth criminal case brought against Trump and the second this month that alleges he tried to undermine the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election. Other defendants included former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and attorneys Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman.

The charges filed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis stem from an investigation that began shortly after the release of a recording of a phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Jan. 2, 2021. In that conversation, Trump suggested Raffensperger "found" 11,780 votes, which would be enough to overtake his presidential opponent Joe Biden. Trump, a Republican, described his conversation with Raffensperger as "perfect" and portrayed the Democratic county prosecutor as politically motivated.

Here are some of the other major investigations against Trump going on during his 2024 campaign.

Investigation of confidential documents

One of the investigations led by Special Prosecutor Jack Smith involves confidential documents. The former president was charged in June with mishandling classified documents at his Florida estate. The prosecution alleged that Trump repeatedly enlisted his aides and lawyers to help him hide records demanded by investigators and carelessly showed the public a Pentagon attack plan and a secret map. An additional indictment filed in July accused Trump of asking to delete surveillance videos at his Mar-a-Lago estate after FBI and Justice Department investigators visited in June 2022 to seize classified documents he took with him after leaving the White House. The new indictment also stated that Trump unlawfully withheld a document he allegedly showed to visitors. In total, Trump is accused of 40 felonies in the case. The most serious charge could carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Trump's former maid Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, the property manager at his Florida estate, have also been charged with withholding surveillance videos from federal investigators and covering up their actions. Trump and Nauta have pleaded not guilty. De Oliveira is scheduled to go on trial Tuesday. District Court Judge Eileen Cannon has set a trial date of May 20, 2024. If that date is honored, it means the trial may not begin until deep into the election season

Election interference

Smith's second case against Trump was filed in August and deals with election interference. Trump was charged with conspiring against the U.S. government and obstructing the official process - the congressional confirmation of Biden's victory. The indictment describes how Trump repeatedly told supporters and others that he won the election despite knowing it was a lie, and how he tried to convince state officials, Vice President Mike Pence and finally Congress to replay the legitimate results.

Trump became the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges when he was indicted in March in New York on state charges related to paying hush money during the 2016 election campaign to hush up allegations of extramarital sexual affairs. He has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Each count could carry up to four years in prison, though it is unclear whether the court would impose any jail time if Trump is found guilty. The charges stem from a series of checks that were written to his attorney Michael Cohen as reimbursement for his role in a payment to actress Stormy Daniels, who alleged a sexual relationship with Trump in 2006, shortly after the birth of their son Barron. The payments were recorded in various internal company documents as legal fees that prosecutors say did not exist. The former president is next scheduled to appear in state court on Dec. 4, two months before the Republican primary.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against Trump and the Trump Organization, alleging that they defrauded banks and tax authorities to get loans and tax breaks. If James, a Democrat, wins the suit, it could lead to civil penalties against the company. It seeks a $250 million fine and a ban on Trump's business in New York. Manhattan prosecutors have also investigated the same facts but have not filed criminal charges. A civil trial is set for October. In a separate civil case in federal court in New York, Trump was convicted in May of sexually assaulting and defaming former magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll in the mid-1990s. A jury rejected Carroll's claim that Trump raped her in a fitting room. Trump was ordered to pay Carroll $5 million dollars. He appealed and persisted in denying her allegations. In July, a federal judge upheld the jury's verdict against Trump, rejecting the former president's claims that the award was excessive.