A New York jury found Donald Trump guilty of all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records on Thursday. This is the first time a former U.S. president has been convicted of a crime.
The jury reached their decision after 9.5 hours of deliberation starting Wednesday. Trump will be sentenced on July 11, just four days before the Republican National Convention. He could face anything from a fine to four years in prison for each count, though he’ll likely serve sentences concurrently.
Trump was not happy, calling the trial “a disgrace” and “rigged” with a “corrupt” judge. The verdict was announced in a Manhattan courtroom where Trump has been on trial since April 15. He had pleaded not guilty to falsifying business records connected to a hush money payment made by his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to adult film star Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election.
Trump looked visibly upset as the jury foreperson read “guilty” for each count. This conviction comes as Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee for president.
The judge thanked the jurors for their dedication. Trump seemed to scowl at them as they left. Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, tried for an acquittal, but the judge denied it.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass told the jury that “the law is the law and it applies to everyone equally,” urging them to hold Trump accountable. Trump’s defense argued that the Manhattan District Attorney’s office had no case and that the payments to Cohen were legit.
Prosecutors said the payment to Cohen was part of a “planned, coordinated long-running conspiracy” to influence the 2016 election by silencing damaging information about Trump. They claimed Trump falsified business records to hide a violation of state election law, bumping the offense from a misdemeanor to a felony.
The trial featured dramatic testimonies, including from Cohen, Trump’s former fixer, and Daniels, who claimed she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Trump denied her claim, saying Cohen acted alone.
Other witnesses included former White House staff, Trump Organization execs, and National Enquirer publisher David Pecker. Trump didn’t testify, though he had said he would. The defense’s main witness was Robert Costello, a lawyer Cohen considered hiring in 2018. Costello’s testimony was controversial, with the judge even threatening him with contempt at one point.
As for voting, Trump’s conviction raises questions about his eligibility, but it depends on state laws. Cohen testified that he lied to protect Trump and that Trump directly reimbursed him for the Daniels payment. The prosecution called 20 witnesses, while the defense called two.
Throughout the trial, Trump claimed the charges were politically motivated to keep him off the campaign trail. However, he managed to turn the courtroom into a political stage, hosting top Republicans and using court breaks to rally his supporters. Trump was fined $10,000 for violating the judge’s gag order with attacks on Cohen and Daniels and warned he could be jailed for further violations.
Trump was indicted last March after a long investigation. These charges are the first ever against a former president, although Trump faces three other indictments, none of which are likely to go to trial before the November presidential election.
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