Answers to your questions about Donald Trump's historic hush money trial conviction

NEW YORK (AP) — Will Donald Trump go to prison? Could he pardon himself? What about the election? The first criminal conviction of a former American president raises a host of legal and political questions.

Trump was convicted by a Manhattan jury Thursday of 34 felony counts related to a scheme during his 2016 presidential campaign to pay off a porn actor who said the two had sex. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee denies having sex with Stormy Daniels, has said he did nothing wrong and slammed the jury's verdict.

Here are answers to some of the biggest questions surrounding Trump's conviction:

Trump remains free on his own recognizance. He will have to be back in the Manhattan courtroom on July 11, when he is set to be sentenced. That is just days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where GOP leaders — who remain steadfast in their support of Trump — are expected to formally make him their nominee for the November election.

Before sentencing, Trump will be interviewed for a presentence report that Judge Juan M. Merchan will use to help decide his punishment. The report is typically prepared by a probation officer, a social worker or a psychologist working for the probation department who interviews the defendant and possibly that person's family and friends, as well as people affected by the crime. Presentence reports include a defendant’s personal history, criminal record and recommendations for sentencing. Trump has no prior convictions.

Trump is charged in three other criminal cases, but it's possible none of them will go to trial before the election. The 2020 election interference case in Washington, for example, remains on hold while the U.S. Supreme Court weighs Trump's claim that he is immune from prosecution for actions taken as commander in chief.

It's not clear. That will be up to the judge, who Trump has repeatedly accused of being biased against him. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the case, refused to say Thursday whether prosecutors will seek prison time.

Each count of falsifying business records is punishable by up to four years behind bars, but it's possible that Trump will get only fines or probation. New York court records and newspaper archives show defendants convicted of the charge are seldom sentenced to prison for that offense alone. Often, the charge is coupled with more serious felonies such as grand larceny.

And even if the judge sentences him to time behind bars, his lawyers would almost certainly push the judge to allow the former president to remain free until he exhausts his appeals.

Trump faces the threat of more serious prison time in the three other cases. For example, the most serious charges in Trump’s Washington and Georgia election interference cases carry maximum 20-year sentences.

Yes. There's nothing barring Trump from continuing his bid to reclaim the White House or from becoming president. There are only three qualifications for president spelled out in the Constitution: Candidates must be at least 35 years old, be natural born citizens and must have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years. There are no restrictions on his travel at this point either, so he can continue to campaign normally.

Trump attorney Todd Blanche said on the “Today” show Friday: “We’re going to appeal, and we’re going to win on appeal.” Trump's lawyers laid the groundwork throughout the trial to challenge the verdict on multiple issues.

Blanche suggested they will challenge the judge's decision not to recuse himself. Trump has repeatedly argued Merchan should not have presided over the case, citing cash he's given to Democrats and the fact that his daughter is a party consultant. Merchan has acknowledged making several small donations to Democratic causes during the 2020 campaign, including $15 to Trump’s Democratic rival, Joe Biden, but rejected Trump's claims he cannot fairly preside over the case.

Trump's lawyers may also challenge rulings from the judge they claim unfairly hampered his defense, including limiting the testimony of an expert witness they wanted to put on the stand.

No. It's a state conviction, so Trump would not be able to pardon himself if he were to become president again. Presidential pardons apply only to federal crimes. And it's a legally untested question as to whether Trump would even have the power to pardon himself if he's convicted in the federal cases. No president has attempted to do so while in office because no president before Trump had ever been charged or convicted.

He can, as long as he is not in prison. Trump's home state of Florida defers to other states’ disenfranchisement rules for residents convicted of out-of-state felonies. And New York law removes the right to vote for people convicted of felonies only while they’re incarcerated. Once they’re out of prison, their rights are automatically restored, even if they’re on parole, per a 2021 law passed by the state’s Democratic legislature.

Trump said Thursday that “the real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people,” referring to Election Day.

It's unclear to what extent his guilty verdict will impact his bid to unseat Biden. The election is expected to be incredibly tight, and it’s not clear how voters who are on the fence — especially independents and other key voting blocs — will feel when they go to the polls.

Republican lawmakers who have been divided in the past over their support for Trump lined up behind him in the wake of the conviction, slamming the judge and prosecutors.

Trump's campaign hopes his supporters will be similarly galvanized by the case, which Trump has cast as an effort to tank his White House bid. His campaign immediately began fundraising off the conviction with messages such as: “I WAS JUST CONVICTED IN A RIGGED TRIAL!” Another message to supporters read: “If they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone.”

Trump’s campaign said Friday morning that it raised a record $34.8 million in small online contributions off his conviction — nearly double its previous largest haul.

Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press journalists Jill Colvin and Luke Sheridan in New York contributed to this report.

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Trump Tower, Friday, May 31, 2024, in New York. A day after a New York jury found Donald Trump guilty of 34 felony charges, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee addressed the conviction and likely attempt to cast his campaign in a new light. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Trump Tower, Friday, May 31, 2024, in New York. A day after a New York jury found Donald Trump guilty of 34 felony charges, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee addressed the conviction and likely attempt to cast his campaign in a new light. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Trump Tower, Friday, May 31, 2024, in New York. A day after a New York jury found Donald Trump guilty of 34 felony charges, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee addressed the conviction and likely attempt to cast his campaign in a new light. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Answers to your questions about Donald Trump's historic hush money trial conviction

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Trump Tower, Friday, May 31, 2024, in New York. A day after a New York jury found Donald Trump guilty of 34 felony charges, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee addressed the conviction and likely attempt to cast his campaign in a new light. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Answers to your questions about Donald Trump's historic hush money trial conviction

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — For decades, a little-known Christian sect has dealt with its abusive ministers and spiritual elders mostly in secret, shunning legal action in favor of urging victims to forgive the predators in their midst.

Forgiveness, however, was far from a cure: The abusers were often sent to live with other unsuspecting families, where they had easy access to new victims.

Now a grassroots effort by survivors has exposed the depth of the scandal — documenting allegations against more than 900 abusers in 30 countries, with cases continuing to emerge — and thrust the nameless sect into the public eye. The FBI has also launched an investigation into the group, sometimes called the “Two by Twos.”

The Associated Press interviewed more than a dozen current and former members, workers and experts, and reviewed letters, court documents and other records supporting the allegations. Several sect leaders and ministers either declined interview requests or did not respond to messages.

Here are some takeaways from the AP's reporting.

Child sex abuse is a significant problem within many religious institutions: Insurance data company Advisen lists child sexual abuse as the second most frequent insurance loss for religious organizations, after wage-related claims. But survivors say the tenets of the Two by Twos place kids at particularly high risk.

The sect believes its volunteer ministers, called “workers,” should live among followers and rely on them for food, housing and other needs.

Many survivors told the AP they were abused by preachers staying in their homes. In some cases, the abuse was revealed and the offending worker was asked to leave the ministry. Frequently, however, regional leaders called “overseers” simply transferred the worker to a new region without warning other members.

Former sect member Pam Walton uses photos from annual sect conventions, reports from members and other records to track the movements of workers and overseers with abuse allegations.

“I don’t think people were understanding the magnitude that these men and women traveled,” Walton said.

One abusive overseer, Dean Bruer, served in at least 22 states and territories and seven countries from the time he joined the ministry in 1976 until his death in 2022.

Former worker Jared Snyder says bringing up someone's past sins is considered taboo because that person “has already been forgiven by God.” As a result, members and workers alike often would only talk euphemistically about problems, Snyder said, and even major misdeeds were frequently downplayed.

“There is an underlying fear of being judged as a person who has a ‘bad spirit’ if you are not merciful enough," Snyder says.

Some sect leaders cautioned against digging into allegations. One overseer told Snyder, “The less you know, the better off you are,” he said.

Some U.S. states have laws that require spiritual leaders, teachers and others in positions of authority to report child abuse allegations to authorities. Letters and other documents show some overseers tried to skirt those laws.

Ed Alexander, a regional overseer for Arizona, wrote a letter to a child-molesting elder urging him to seek professional counseling. That way, Alexander claimed, the sect would not have to report the man's crime and instead the counselor could take on reporting responsibility.

Alexander declined to comment.

As a teen, Sheri Autrey felt unprepared to describe the intimate details of her abuse to a jury, so her parents declined to put her through the criminal prosecution process. When Autrey tried to press charges as an adult, it was too late — under California state law, too many years had passed since the crime.

Autrey tried to find an attorney to sue the sect, but no one would take the case. Legal experts say the sect's aversion to property leaves it without any apparent assets that could be used to pay a legal settlement.

Left without legal options, many survivors joined grassroots efforts to support each other. One organization, Advocates for the Truth, created a 24-hour confidential hotline for survivors, investigated and tracked allegations, and connected victims with therapeutic resources and funding.

Facebook pages and online chat rooms have also given survivors a place to compare stories, discuss faith and share suggestions for reform.

A grand jury began looking into the sect last year, and in February the FBI asked people with information to come forward. Agents have interviewed multiple survivors and sect leaders over the last several months.

Some sect leaders have condemned the abuse and asked consultants for advice on how to better protect members. Others have rejected recommended child abuse prevention policies outright, or implemented scaled-down versions with fewer safeguards.

Still, the pressure doesn't seem likely to let up anytime soon. Former sect member and survivor Lisa Webb says advocating for other survivors has been her therapy.

“I'm not trying to take away your salvation or attack your faith, but how can we keep our kids safe? You can respect the faith, respect the religion, but still not be naive," Webb said. “Just the fact that the conversation is out there now means we've already improved the safety. ... There's a rallying behind survivors.”

Pam Walton leaves a library with her container including photographs and lists of "Two by Twos" conventions, members and ministers, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in Wailea, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Mengshin Lin)