Former U.S. President Donald Trump faces sentencing on July 11, following his conviction for falsifying business records to commit election fraud. The New York jury unanimously found Trump guilty on all 34 counts, making him the first former U.S. president to be convicted of criminal charges.
The 12-member panel, composed of seven men and five women, reached their decision after five weeks of testimony from 22 witnesses. Reacting to the verdict, Trump denounced the conviction, calling it a “disgrace” and professed his innocence. He further decried the trial as “rigged” and questioned the impartiality of the presiding judge.
The charges stem from Trump's involvement in a scheme to conceal “hush money” payments to pornographic actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. Daniels had alleged a sexual encounter with Trump, which posed a threat to his campaign. To suppress her allegations, Trump directed his personal lawyer to pay $130,000 to ensure her silence.
During the Manhattan Criminal Court trial, evidence highlighted Trump's role in the scheme, including interactions with David Pecker, former publisher of the National Enquirer, who used a “catch and kill” strategy to quash negative stories about Trump. The trial also included a video from “Access Hollywood” where Trump made lewd comments about groping women, causing a crisis in his campaign.
Michael Cohen, Trump’s lawyer, testified about Trump’s direct involvement in orchestrating the payment to Daniels. Cohen stated that Trump viewed the situation as a “disaster” for his campaign and directed him to handle it. The prosecution argued that while paying hush money is not illegal, falsifying business records to conceal the payments and influence the election constituted criminal behavior. Trump’s reimbursement to Cohen, disguised as legal expenses, further compounded the charges.
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, commented on the conviction, stating: “Today is a shameful day in American history.”
