A New York jury found on Thursday that Donald Trump had fabricated documents to conceal a payment made to a porn star in order to get her silence before the 2016 election, making him the first sitting president of the United States to be found guilty of a crime.
The 12-member jury found Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts after two days of deliberations.
Sentencing was slated for July 11 by Judge Juan Merchan, a few days before the Republican Party was supposed to formally nominate Trump for president in advance of the election on November 5.
The highest penalty for the offence of fabricating company documents is four years in prison; however, those found guilty frequently face lesser terms and fines or probation.
Before being sentenced, he won’t be imprisoned.
The decision places the country in unfamiliar circumstances ahead of the November election, when Trump will attempt to unseat Democratic President Joe Biden from the White House. The 77-year-old has denied any misconduct, and his legal team promised to file an appeal as soon as feasible.
“This was a disgrace,” Trump told reporters after the trial, maintaining his innocence and voicing grievances about the rigged proceedings against him. In a park across from the courthouse, Trump supporters congregated alongside media, law enforcement, and bystanders.
According to opinion polls, there is a narrow lead between Trump and Biden, 81, and Reuters/Ipsos research indicates that Trump may lose some support from independent and Republican voters if he is found guilty.
The case was usually considered the least significant of Trump’s four criminal prosecutions. But because the other verdicts have been postponed due to procedural objections, this one is likely the only one rendered before the election, so it looms huge today.
Following a five-week trial that included graphic testimony from porn star Stormy Daniels regarding an alleged 2006 sexual encounter she had with Trump while he was married to his current wife Melania, the jury found Trump guilty of falsifying company paperwork. Trump claims he has never had sex with Daniels.
Cohen stated in his testimony that he made the money and that Trump gave his approval for a scheme to pay Cohen back on a monthly basis under the pretence of doing legal work.
Cohen’s criminal history, his incarceration, and his pattern of lying were used by Trump’s attorneys to undermine Cohen’s credibility. Merchan also advised the jury to carefully review his testimony.
