A jury in New York found Trump guilty on all charges of falsifying documents
Donald Trump has become the first US president in history to be convicted of a felony. A jury in New York found him guilty of falsifying documents in an attempt to cover up a payment to a former porn star for hush money before the 2016 election.
After deliberations that stretched over two days, all 12 jurors found Trump guilty on all 34 counts. Any verdict requires unanimity.
Trump watched impassively as jurors testified during the hearing to confirm the guilty verdict. Trump, 77, denies guilt and is expected to appeal the decision.
“We didn’t do anything wrong. I’m a completely innocent man,” Trump said after leaving the courtroom.
Donald Trump’s press office released a statement later saying, “This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a corrupt judge. It’s a rigged trial, a disgrace. They did not allow us to change the venue of the trial. We had 5% or 6% of our supporters in that constituency.”
According to Trump, “The real verdict will come on November 5 by the people. And they know in the courtroom what happened, and everybody knows what happened here.”
Trump accused the White House of trying to eliminate a political opponent through the court system, “This was done by the Biden administration to damage or hurt an opponent, a political opponent. And I think it’s just a disgrace. And we’re going to continue to fight.”
The judge will announce Donald Trump’s punishment on July 11.
The former president faces a sentence of four years in prison, although others convicted of the crime often receive lesser sentences, fines or probation. The prison sentence will not prevent him from campaigning or becoming president if he wins.
The jury found Trump guilty of falsifying business records after a five-week trial in which porn star Stormy Daniels testified candidly about intimate encounters she said took place in 2006, when the former president was already married to his current wife Melania. Trump has denied ever having an affair with Daniels.
Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen testified that Trump approved a $130,000 payment to Daniels for her silence on the eve of the 2016 election, when he faced multiple allegations of sexual harassment.
Cohen testified that he personally made the payment and that Trump approved a plan to reimburse Cohen through monthly payments framed as legal fees. Trump’s attorneys emphasized Cohen’s criminal record and prison time, as well as the repeated false testimony he gave under various circumstances.
Falsifying business records is an administrative offense in New York state, but Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office elevated the offense to a felony on the grounds that Trump concealed an illegal contribution to his campaign.
Trump has complained that he can’t get a fair trial in his hometown, where Democrats rule.
The case was seen as the least significant of the four criminal prosecutions Trump faced. Bragg brought the case back to life after his predecessor decided not to bring charges against the former head of state.
The case is also likely to be the only one to go to trial before the election, as other trials against Trump have been delayed due to procedural issues.
If elected, Trump could shut down two federal investigations whose authors accuse him of illegally trying to undo his defeat in the 2020 election and mishandling classified documents after leaving office in 2021. Trump has pleaded not guilty in all cases and has called all the cases opened against him an attempt by Democrats to hurt him ahead of the election.