Donald Trump, the former President of the United States, has become the first U.S. president to be convicted of a crime. A New York jury found him guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying documents to cover up a payment made to silence a porn star before the 2016 election. After two days of deliberation, the 12-member jury unanimously pronounced Trump guilty.
The sentencing is scheduled for July 11, just days before the Republican Party is set to formally nominate Trump for president ahead of the November election. The crime of falsifying business documents carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison, but it is common for those convicted to receive shorter sentences, fines, or probation. Trump will not be jailed ahead of sentencing.
This verdict has significant implications for the upcoming election, as Trump will attempt to win back the White House from Democratic President Joe Biden. Opinion polls show a tight race between the two candidates, and a guilty verdict could potentially cost Trump support among independent and Republican voters.
The case against Trump focused on his involvement in a hush money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 election. Trump’s former fixer, Michael Cohen, testified that Trump approved the $130,000 payment and orchestrated a plan to reimburse him through monthly payments disguised as legal work. Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has portrayed the trial as a rigged process against him.
The verdict in this case is likely to be the only one before the election, as the other criminal prosecutions against Trump have been delayed by procedural challenges. The jury’s relatively quick deliberation time indicates that they found enough evidence to support Cohen’s testimony.
The guilty verdict has drawn strong reactions from both supporters and opponents of Trump. His fellow Republicans have condemned the verdict, while Biden’s campaign sees it as a demonstration that no one is above the law. The White House has declined to comment on the matter.
Trump’s legal team plans to appeal the verdict, focusing on Daniels’ testimony and the legal theory used by prosecutors in the case. Legal experts believe that Trump faces long odds in his appeal.
This conviction for falsifying business documents is just one of the legal challenges Trump faces. If elected, he could potentially shut down the two federal cases accusing him of illegally trying to overturn the 2020 election and mishandling classified documents. However, he would not have the power to stop a separate election-subversion case in Georgia.
As the election approaches, Trump’s legal troubles continue to be a point of contention in the political landscape. The outcome of this case will have significant implications for his political future and the overall perception of his presidency.