NEW YORK, May 30 (Reuters) – Donald Trump became the first U.S. president to be convicted of a crime on Thursday when a New York jury found him guilty of falsifying documents to cover up a payment to silence a porn star ahead of the 2016 election.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!After two days of deliberations, the 12-member jury found Trump guilty on all 34 counts he faced. Trump remained stoic as the jury confirmed the verdict.
Justice Juan Merchan scheduled sentencing for July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention, where Trump is expected to be formally nominated for president. Merchan thanked the jurors for their service, emphasizing their autonomy in decision-making.
This verdict thrusts the United States into uncharted territory ahead of the November 5 presidential election, where Trump, the Republican candidate, aims to reclaim the White House from Democratic President Joe Biden.
Trump, 77, denied any wrongdoing and plans to appeal. “This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who is corrupt,” Trump told reporters, asserting his innocence and suggesting the real verdict will come on November 5.
The conviction carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison, but similar offenses often result in shorter sentences, fines, or probation. Trump will remain free pending sentencing and can still campaign and assume office if elected.
Polls show a tight race between Trump and Biden, 81. Reuters/Ipsos polling indicates that a guilty verdict could erode Trump’s support among independent and Republican voters.
The Trump campaign is reportedly considering a female vice presidential running mate in light of the verdict. Biden’s campaign commented that the verdict demonstrates no one is above the law, stressing that the ballot box remains the only way to prevent Trump from returning to the Oval Office.
The jury reached a verdict at 4:20 p.m. (2020 GMT) and announced all 34 guilty counts shortly after 5 p.m. Trump’s Republican allies quickly condemned the decision, with House Speaker Mike Johnson calling it a “shameful day in American history.”
The five-week trial included explicit testimony from porn star Stormy Daniels about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, which he denies. Michael Cohen, Trump’s former fixer, testified that Trump authorized a $130,000 hush money payment to Daniels during the 2016 election campaign, disguised as legal fees.
Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, unsuccessfully asked Merchan to dismiss the guilty verdict, citing Cohen’s unreliable testimony. Legal experts suggest Trump’s appeal is likely to focus on Daniels’ testimony and the prosecution’s legal theory, but success is considered unlikely.
Falsifying business documents is typically a misdemeanor in New York, but prosecutors elevated the charges to felonies, alleging Trump concealed an illegal campaign contribution. Trump argued he couldn’t receive a fair trial in his heavily Democratic hometown.
This case, seen as the least significant of the four criminal prosecutions Trump faces, is likely to be the only one to go to trial before the election. The others are delayed by procedural challenges. If re-elected, Trump could potentially dismiss the two federal cases against him but not a separate election-subversion case in Georgia.
Trump has pleaded not guilty in all cases, framing his legal issues as political attacks from Biden’s allies.
