Donald Trump has become the first former US president convicted of a crime, with a New York jury finding him guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Although he could theoretically face up to four years in prison per count, probation is more likely.
The 77-year-old Republican, released without bail, remains eligible to continue his presidential campaign. He maintains his innocence and labeled the trial “rigged” and a “disgrace.” President Joe Biden’s campaign remarked that the trial demonstrated that “no one is above the law.”
Sentencing by Judge Juan Merchan is set for July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention where Trump is expected to receive the party’s nomination. The jury, whose identities were kept secret, reached a unanimous decision after more than 11 hours of deliberation.
Trump also faces charges related to attempts to overturn the 2020 election results and hoarding secret documents post-presidency, but these trials will likely not commence before the next presidential election.
The conviction stems from Trump’s reimbursement of his lawyer, Michael Cohen, for a $130,000 payment to Daniels during the 2016 election to silence her claim of a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump. Prosecutors argued that the hush money was part of a broader scheme to mislead voters.
Cohen, the key witness and a former Trump aide, called the verdict “an important day for accountability and the rule of law.” Trump, who did not testify, denies the encounter with Daniels, and his lawyers contended that the payments were legal.
Despite the trial’s distraction, Trump leveraged the media attention for his campaign, issuing a fundraising appeal titled “I am a political prisoner!” and planning a public statement.
