In a landmark decision, a Manhattan jury has convicted former U.S. President Donald Trump on all 34 counts of falsifying corporate records.
This conviction marks a historic moment, making Trump the first former president to face felony charges and the first major-party presidential nominee to be found guilty of a crime while actively running for office.
The verdict was delivered after the jury deliberated for over 12 hours across two days. Despite the conviction, Trump is not barred from seeking reelection, leaving it to the voters to determine the impact of the jury’s decision on his presidential campaign.
Should Trump win the November election, he would become the first convicted felon to serve as president of the United States.
Reacting to the verdict, Trump denounced the trial as “rigged” and “disgraceful,” maintaining his innocence and vowing to continue his fight.
The charges, brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, stem from allegations that Trump falsified records to hide a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
The payment was allegedly made to prevent Daniels from disclosing an affair prior to the 2016 election.
The seven-week trial featured testimony from 20 witnesses who detailed a pattern of payoffs intended to suppress negative stories about Trump before the election.
Key testimony came from Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, who described how Trump authorized the payment and approved the repayment plan.
