Trump's 4 indictments, ranked by stakes

Also: Blind Side allegations, Montana climate change case, and WGA strike update   Tuesday, August 15, 2023: Another day, another Trump indictment. It’s Izzie Ramirez, and here’s what you need to know today: Spotlight: Not all Trump indictments are made equal In other news: Another shift in how kids learn to read, Blind Side subject alleges wrongdoing, and thousands of hackers try to break AI chatbots. How are you liking the new Sentences format? We’d love to hear what you think. Holler at newsletters@vox.com or just reply to this email.   SPOTLIGHT Which Trump indictments matter the most? Brandon Bell/Getty Images Former President Donald Trump was indicted yesterday in Georgia — for the fourth time. He remains the only US president in history to be indicted on criminal charges. If you’re losing track of what exactly he’s done, you’re not alone. The lowdown: So far, Trump has been indicted this year for allegedly… - [Falsifying business records in attempts]( to cover $130,000 of hush money to Stormy Daniels (New York) - [Holding classified documents at Mar-a-Lago]( and not returning them to the federal government (Federal) - [Attempting to overturn the 2020 election and involvement in the January 6 insurrection]( (Federal) - And now: [Interfering in Georgia’s election process in 2020]( (Georgia) The cases have grown so sprawling that it’s tough for anyone but the most die-hard political obsessive to follow them in detail. But in some, the consequences — for our democracy and for Trump personally — are higher than others. I spoke with politics reporters Li Zhou and Andrew Prokop about [how they ranked the stakes of the four indictments in their latest piece](. “It’s wild that we are at a point of determining which of Trump’s alleged crimes are the worst of the crimes, but here we are,” Li said. “While nothing in Trump’s indictments is good, we thought about the stakes by examining what the larger implications could be for future presidents, elections and society writ large.” The takeaway: The two prosecutions about Trump’s efforts to overturn [Joe Biden](’s 2020 victory (in DC and Georgia) are the ones to watch, say Li and Andrew, because they have enormous implications for the future of American elections. “At their core, these cases are holding Trump accountable for attempting to hang onto power, and are important in order to prevent future officials from trying to do the same again,” Li added. On the other hand, New York’s hush money case and the federal documents case in Florida have less sweeping implications for the future of democracy. The classified documents case is significant in that it involves classified intelligence material, but the case is mainly about Trump’s efforts to defy the government’s demands that he return the documents. And in New York, the case over hush money payments to Stormy Daniels is more about Trump’s business conduct — it’s not the highest-stakes issue in the world. What’s next: The open questions going forward are whether these indictments will impact Trump’s chances of being elected as president again, and whether he’ll serve any time in prison. “An indictment is only an allegation and can’t disqualify anyone from office,” Andrew explains. “But even multiple convictions wouldn’t stop Trump from holding office if he wins again. If he's the GOP nominee again he'll be on the ballot, and only the voters can stop him.” Another big question is whether Trump will be seeing the inside of a prison cell. That would require a conviction, a sentence from a judge, and losing any appeals. It’s not impossible, but we’re still a “long way” from that, says Andrew. [Read Li and Andrew’s full piece here.](   ASK VOX 📣 What questions do you have about the Trump indictments? Let us know by [filling out this form](!   ALSO ON VOX - These kids sued over climate change — and won. The unprecedented ruling in Montana could [create a legal roadmap for similar challenges](, reports Jonquilyn Hill, host of The Weeds. - The reading wars, explained. A huge shift in how kids learn to read is underway, but it [probably won’t be the last](, argues policy reporter Rachel M. Cohen. - The LED light revolution has only just begun. 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But it’s a lot easier said than done, [reports The Weeds](.   ONE LAST THING Enjoying the Sentences newsletter? Forward it to a friend, they can [sign up for it right here](. As always, we wanna know what you think. We recently changed the format of this newsletter. Send any feedback to newsletters@vox.com.    [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Manage your [email preferences]( [unsubscribe](param=sentences). If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring [contribution](. View our [Privacy Notice]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.