For the first time in US history, a former President is convicted of a felony. A Manhattan Jury found former President Donald Trump guilty of all 34 charges of falsifying business records on Thursday, in an unprecedented and historic verdict.
Former President Donald Trump saying: “”This was a rigged, disgraceful trial. The real verdict is going to be November 5th, by the people, and they know what happened here and everybody knows what happened here.”
Anger and frustration from the former President shortly after the guilty verdict was announced. Trump faced 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016 to cover up an alleged affair with her. Trump denied the affair and had pleaded not guilty to the charges. Trump saying: “We didn’t do anything wrong. I’m a very innocent man. And it’s okay, I’m fighting for our country. I’m fighting for our Constitution”
During the trial, Trump’s Lawyers argued that there was no evidence of criminal intent to defraud and the Prosecution’s star witness Michael Cohen was an admitted liar. But Prosecutors, who alleged Trump was trying to illegally influence the 2016 Presidential Election, pushed back against that argument, saying documents and the testimony of others, particularly former National Enquirer CEO David Pecker, corroborated Cohen’s testimony.
The Jury deliberated for nearly 12 hours over two days. In a Press Conference following the Verdict, District Attorney Alvin Bragg thanked them for their service. Bragg adding: “jurors perform a fundamental civic duty…evidence and the law.”
Trump’s Sentencing is set for July 11, just days before the start of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
