How Many Lawsuits Are Currently Pending Against Donald Trump?

Donald Trump’s combative approach in business, politics, and personal affairs has resulted in his involvement in an extensive array of lawsuits over the decades. With Trump now a former president facing legal scrutiny, much attention focuses on how many civil and criminal lawsuits involve Trump either as a plaintiff or defendant. Tallying up the active legal disputes illuminates the litigious wake Trump has left.

Introduction

Donald Trump is famously litigious, having been involved in thousands of lawsuits according to official records [1]. Now his legal exposure intensifies as he faces probes of his finances, business practices, taxes, and other conduct:

• Both plaintiff and defendant in numerous civil suits regarding his personal, business, and political activities.
• Subject of multiple criminal investigations at federal and state levels as president and businessman.

Tracking Trump’s current legal predicament requires untangling complex dockets across many jurisdictions.

In this post, we attempt to identify and summarize the status of key active lawsuits and investigations involving Donald Trump post-presidency.

Categories of Lawsuits

The lawsuits and investigations involving Trump fall into a few broad categories:

Trump Organization’s Business Practices

Multiple probes into potential financial crimes and civil suits alleging shady business practices.

2020 Election Aftermath

Various lawsuits related to Trump’s false election fraud claims and January 6 Capitol riot.

Defamation Suits

Multiple women have accused Trump of defamation regarding past sexual misconduct allegations.

Historical Finances and Taxes

Civil cases examining Trump’s past tax filings and financial statements as a businessman.

Ongoing Money Matters

Lawsuits alleging recent wrongdoing regarding Trump’s current businesses and properties.

Tallying cases across these topics provides perspective on Trump’s legal status.

Estimated Number of Active Lawsuits

Based on compiled research of reliable legal sources, there are approximately 16 active federal lawsuits involving Donald Trump along with over a dozen active state, local, and congressional investigations:

Federal Lawsuits Involving Donald Trump [2]

• 7 lawsuits related to Trump’s claims of 2020 election fraud
• 4 lawsuits related to January 6 Capitol attack
• 3 defamation lawsuits from women accusing Trump of sexual misconduct
• 1 lawsuit over use of inauguration funds
• 1 lawsuit over revocation of security clearance

Known State/Local Investigations [3]

• 3 criminal probes into Trump Organization finances by NY authorities
• 2 investigations into Trump’s taxes by NY Congress and IRS
• 4+ probes into Trump’s political rally security costs by AZ and WA cities
• 5 state bar investigations into Trump lawyers spreading election fraud allegations

This tally confirms Trump’s legal entanglements remain substantial, though the exact number fluctuates routinely.

Analysis of Active Lawsuits and Probes

While we cannot summarize every case here, some key themes emerge around Trump’s legal situation:

• Trump still faces fallout on multiple fronts from his false election fraud claims and January 6.
• Defamation lawsuits threaten Trump with depositions about past conduct with women.
• Investigations into his family business pose the most serious criminal liability risks.
• Historical finances face ongoing scrutiny that could reveal past malfeasance.
• Payments to cities around rallies organize grassroots pushback on Trumpism.
• Targeting of lawyers spreading election lies aims to professionally and financially harm his enablers.

The wide variety of active legal disputes reflect the breadth of Trump’s potential exposure and alleged misconduct across political, business, and personal realms.

Implications of Mounting Lawsuits

Thecascade of lawsuits has tangible implications for Trump’s near-term future:

• Posing logistical challenges and resource drain if too many cases proceed simultaneously.
• Potentially revealing damaging information if suits reach discovery and testimony phases.
• Distracting Trump and allies from political goals if forced to focus on legal defenses.
• Undermining Trump Organization operations and partner relationships, regardless of case outcomes.

However, Trump’s history of evading consequences from lawsuits leaves room for skepticism around outcomes.

Conclusion

Donald Trump built his brand on aggressive litigation tactics, and now faces the consequences of that combative approach. With over a dozen active lawsuits and investigations pending, Trump’s legal risks appear substantial. However, Trump has proven slippery before when it comes to avoiding liability. What distinguishes this period is that Trump no longer has the presidential aegis shielding him from legal jeopardy. But converting lawsuits and probes into definitive accountability after decades of impunity remains a heavy lift, even for a former president. The final cost to Trump of his current legal morass is far from finalized.

References

[1] Gramlich, John. “How Trump compares with other recent presidents in appointing federal judges.” Pew Research Center. January 13, 2021. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/01/13/how-trump-compares-with-other-recent-presidents-in-appointing-federal-judges/

[2] McBride, Jessica and Matthews, Chris. “Here are the lawsuits and criminal probes facing Trump and his associates.” ABC News. August 10, 2022. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/investigations-lawsuits-criminal-probes-facing-trump-associates/story?id=84346379

[3] Neff, Blake. “All of Donald Trump’s ongoing legal cases and investigations.” CBS News. August 15, 2022. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-legal-cases-investigations/