In an unprecedented legal development, former U.S. President Donald Trump was found guilty on Thursday in a landmark trial involving a hush-money payment scheme.
It’s the first time in US history that a sitting or former president has been convicted of any crime.
A New York jury found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records, which were allegedly used to cover up payments made to individuals who claimed to have scandalous stories during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Alvin Bragg, Manhattan’s district attorney who was in charge of investigating and prosecuting the case, commended the jury for their hard work. Their deliberations have led them to a unanimous conclusion that the defendant, Donald J. Trump, was guilty of 34 counts of first degree falsifying corporate records for purposes of concealing an election corruption scheme in 2016,” said Bragg during his press conference.”
Despite the verdict, Donald Trump maintains his innocence, and his legal team intends to appeal. After the verdict, Mr. Trump’s lawyers attempted to win an acquittal but Judge Juan Merchan refused that request.
The trial spanned five weeks, during which the 12-member jury heard testimony from over 20 witnesses, including Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen and adult film star Stormy Daniels. The testimony of these witnesses was crucial to the examination of a $130,000 extortion payment at issue in that case.
On Wednesday, the jury began its deliberations and spent approximately eleven hours discussing evidence before reaching a decision. Judge Merchan acknowledged the jury’s effort, saying, “You have been engaged in a very difficult and stressful task, giving this matter much attention it deserves.”
During the course of the trial, Trump did not testify, and at times he seemed to be distracted, even sleepy. In addition, Judge Merchan fined him and threatened to send him to jail several times for violating the gag order.
Just days before the Republican National Convention, where Donald Trump is expected to be nominated for president in November 2024, the sentence is set for July 11. Stealing business records may result in a prison sentence of up to 4 years, but for first time offenders there is no likelihood of imprisonment.
Prosecutors haven’t said if they’re going to seek prison time, and it’s still unclear how Judge Merchan’s going to sentence them.
Michael Cohen, who testified against Trump, called the conviction “an important day for accountability and the rule of law.” Other federal and state charges related to alleged efforts to reverse the results of the 2020 election and the mishandling of classified documents after the President’s departure are also pending against him.
According to White House spokesman Ian Sams, the White House respects the rule of law and has no further comment. In the meantime, President Joe Biden’s re election campaign has stressed that conviction proves “no one is exempt from law.”
It is expected that this case in New York will be the only one to go to trial before the upcoming presidential election, which will have a significant impact on the future of Donald Trump’s political career and the broader American political landscape.
