A New York jury has found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 counts, marking the first criminal conviction of a former U.S. president.
The verdict, delivered unanimously, concludes a trial where Trump faced charges of falsifying business records to commit election fraud.
Scheduled for sentencing on July 11, Trump decried the decision outside the court, asserting his innocence and criticizing the judicial process, which he deemed biased and flawed.
At the core of the case was Trump’s involvement in concealing “hush money” payments intended to silence porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. Amidst revelations of a potential scandal, Trump directed his lawyer to pay Daniels $130,000 to prevent her from disclosing their alleged affair, which Trump vehemently denies. The payment, made through Trump’s fixer, Michael Cohen, aimed to bury damaging information that could have jeopardized his election campaign.
The trial, held in Manhattan Criminal Court, revisited the tumultuous events leading up to the 2016 election, including the Access Hollywood tape scandal where Trump was caught making lewd remarks about women. Additionally, allegations surfaced regarding Trump’s encounter with Stormy Daniels, prompting efforts to suppress her story. Trump’s associates, including former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker and Cohen, played integral roles in orchestrating a “catch and kill” scheme to quash unfavourable media coverage.
Throughout the proceedings, Trump’s complicity in the payment scheme was scrutinized, with Cohen testifying that he directed him to handle the transaction. Although hush money does not inherently constitute a crime, Trump’s subsequent actions, including reimbursing Cohen with inflated payments and falsifying business records to mask the reimbursement, formed the basis of the prosecution’s case.
In a scathing rebuke, the prosecution characterized Trump’s actions as part of a “planned, coordinated, long-running conspiracy to influence the 2016 election.”
The guilty verdict, a historic milestone in U.S. legal history, reflects a significant blow to Trump’s legacy and underscores the judiciary’s commitment to upholding electoral integrity.
As Trump faces sentencing, the ramifications of his conviction reverberate across the political landscape, raising questions about accountability and the rule of law at the highest echelons of power.
