In an unprecedented development, former US President Donald Trump was found guilty on Thursday by a New York jury of falsifying business records to conceal a hush money payment made to silence a porn star ahead of the 2016 presidential election. The verdict, delivered after two days of deliberations, marks Trump as the first U.S. president ever convicted of a crime.
The 12-member jury unanimously convicted Trump on all 34 counts, a requirement for any verdict. Trump, who maintained a stoic demeanor as the jurors confirmed their decision, now faces sentencing on July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention set to nominate him for a second term in office.
“Nobody can make you do anything you don’t want to do. The choice is yours,” Justice Juan Merchan told the jurors, expressing gratitude for their service.
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The conviction thrusts the nation into uncharted territory as Trump, 77, gears up to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden in the upcoming November election. Trump has staunchly denied any wrongdoing and is expected to appeal the decision. “This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who is corrupt,” Trump declared post-verdict. “The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people. I am a very innocent man.”
Facing a maximum sentence of four years in prison, Trump will remain free until sentencing. Legal experts suggest that incarceration wouldn’t bar him from campaigning or assuming office if he wins. Opinion polls show a tight race between Trump and Biden, with some indicating the guilty verdict could erode Trump’s support among independent and Republican voters.
In response to the verdict, Biden’s campaign emphasized that the legal outcome reaffirms the principle that no one is above the law. “There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box,” Biden’s campaign stated.
The guilty verdict stems from a five-week trial that included explicit testimony from Stormy Daniels, who claimed a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump, 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 and approved a plan to reimburse Cohen through monthly payments mischaracterized as legal expenses.
House Speaker Mike Johnson denounced the verdict as a “shameful day in American history,” reflecting the swift backlash from Trump’s Republican allies. Despite attempts by Trump’s defense to discredit Cohen and dismiss the charges, Justice Merchan upheld the jury’s decision.
This case, perceived as the least significant among the four criminal prosecutions Trump faces, was revived under Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg after being initially dismissed by his predecessor. It is likely to be the only trial concluded before the election, as other cases face procedural delays.
If re-elected, Trump could potentially end two federal cases related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results and mishandling classified documents, although he lacks the authority to intervene in a separate election-subversion case in Georgia.
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