Donald Trump has been convicted of conspiring to buy the silence of a p0rn actor just days before the 2016 election and covering it up in business records, making him the first former U.S. president to be found guilty of a crime while seeking a second term.
The unanimous verdict in the Manhattan “hush money” case was delivered just after 5 p.m. local time on Thursday, following nearly two days of deliberation by the jury of seven men and five women.
This historic conviction is a major victory for Manhattan’s Democratic district attorney, Alvin Bragg, who revived the case last year after it had been dropped by his predecessor and federal prosecutors. Over five weeks, jurors heard detailed accounts of a “catch and kill” scheme to suppress the story of an alleged extramarital encounter with Stormy Daniels.
Trump, who attended the trial in person four days a week, sat with his eyes closed as the verdict was read out by the jury foreman. After the proceedings ended abruptly, Trump shook hands with his son Eric and later denounced the trial as “rigged” and “disgraceful.”
“I’m a very innocent man,” Trump said outside the courtroom. “I’m fighting for our country. I’m fighting for our Constitution. This is a disgrace. We’ll keep fighting, and we’ll win because our country has gone to hell.” He added that the “real verdict” would come from the American people on November 5.
Trump’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11, just days before the Republican convention where he is expected to be nominated as the party’s candidate. The 34 counts for which Trump was convicted each carry a maximum prison sentence of four years, though as a first-time offender, he is unlikely to serve time. Bragg did not comment on whether he would seek a prison sentence.
Trump is expected to appeal the verdict, a process that could take months. If elected, he would be the first convicted felon to serve as U.S. president, though the Constitution does not prohibit a convicted criminal from holding office. Trump would be unable to pardon himself for state charges; that power lies with the New York governor.
Despite extensive media coverage of the trial, Trump remains a strong contender in the presidential election polls, leading President Joe Biden in several swing states. He has also successfully delayed three other criminal cases against him, none of which are likely to go to trial before November’s vote.
Manhattan district attorney’s office overcame multiple attempts by Trump to delay the trial or disqualify testimony. Key witnesses included former aide Hope Hicks, former tabloid publisher David Pecker, and Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer who facilitated the payment to Daniels and testified against Trump.
Prosecutors argued that disguising the reimbursement for the hush money as legal payments was an attempt to corrupt the election. Trump’s defense countered that there was no evidence he was aware of the scheme and attacked Cohen’s credibility.
Following the verdict, Bragg stated that the evidence, which included invoices, checks, bank statements, audio recordings, and testimony from 22 witnesses, proved Trump “went to illegal lengths to lie repeatedly to protect himself and his campaign.”
The Biden campaign, which had largely avoided commenting on the trial, issued a statement after the verdict saying it demonstrated that “no one is above the law” and emphasized the importance of voting to prevent Trump from returning to the Oval Office. The White House also issued a brief statement respecting the rule of law.
FT
