(The Center Square) – A Manhattan jury on Thursday convicted former President Donald Trump on all counts in his hush money case, a history-making verdict that could reshape the 2024 presidential election.
Trump was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records for disguising hush money payments to an adult film actress as legal costs ahead of the 2016 election.
Under New York state law, falsifying business records in the first degree is a Class E felony that carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison.
Judge Juan Merchan set sentencing for 10 a.m. July 11, days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, which is scheduled for July 15-18, when Trump is likely to be selected as the party’s nominee for president.
A jail or prison sentence could have implications for the 2024 rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden.
After the verdict was announced, a defiant Trump said voters would decide his guilt or innocence in November.
“This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge that was corrupt,” Trump said. “They wouldn’t give us a venue change. We were at 5% or 6% [support] in this district, in this area. … Everyone knows what happened here. We didn’t do a thing wrong. I’m a very innocent man. It’s OK. I’m fighting for our country. I’m fighting for our Constitution.”
Trump said the case was brought by Biden, his political rival.
“Our whole country is being rigged right now,” Trump said. “This was done by the Biden administration. I think it is just a disgrace. Our country has gone to hell. We are a nation in serious decline. This is a rigged decision right from day one.”
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records related to money paid to keep an adult actress from talking about an alleged affair with Trump ahead of the 2016 election. Bragg has alleged Trump broke New York law when he falsified business records with the intent to commit or conceal another crime.
Prosecutors allege Trump falsified internal records kept by his company, hiding the true nature of payments that involve adult actress Stormy Daniels ($130,000), former Playboy model Karen McDougal ($150,000), and Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen ($420,000). Prosecutors allege the money was logged as legal expenses, not reimbursements.
Both Daniels and Cohen testified during the trial.
Daniels detailed the alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trump and testified she “blacked out.” She also said Trump didn’t wear a condom. Defense attorneys asked for a mistrial after that testimony, which they argued was prejudicial. Merchan denied that request for a mistrial.
Cohen’s $130,000 payment to Daniels ahead of the 2016 election is at the center of the case.
Cohen pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance laws in 2018 in relation to the payment. Cohen, a convicted perjurer, also pleaded guilty to other crimes, including tax evasion. He was sentenced to three years in prison for tax evasion, making false statements to a federally insured bank, and campaign finance violations in 2018.
Trump has denied having sex with Daniels in 2006 while he was married to Melania Trump.
Prosecutors called 20 witnesses to the stand during four weeks of testimony before the jury of 12 along with six alternates.
Cohen testified Trump knew about the hush money payment. On cross-examination, Cohen also testified he stole tens of thousands of dollars from Trump while he worked as Trump’s attorney. Cohen said he stole the money that he was supposed to use to pay another company on Trump’s behalf because his annual bonus had been reduced. After falling out with the former president, Cohen vowed to get revenge against Trump.
Trump’s defense team called two witnesses, including one who contradicted Cohen’s testimony. Robert Costello, a defense attorney Michael Cohen spoke to in 2018 while under federal investigation, refuted Cohen’s testimony that Trump knew about the $130,000 hush money payment to adult actress Stormy Daniels.
During the trial, Merchan repeatedly fined Trump for his comments and social media activity outside the courtroom. He ordered Trump to pay a total of $10,000 for violating his gag order.
The gag order remains in place. Trump, the nation’s 45th president, is prohibited from making or directing others to make public statements about the jurors, witnesses, attorneys, court staff, district attorney staff and family members of staff.
Trump, 77, is the first former U.S. president to be charged with a felony. He did not take the stand in his own defense.
In late March, Trump said that he wasn’t worried about a conviction when asked if he thought a conviction could hurt his chances of returning to the White House.
“It could also make me more popular because the people know it’s a scam,” he said. “It’s a Biden trial, there is no trial, there’s a Biden trial.”
Whatever happens, Trump will be protected by the U.S. Secret Service.
Even if convicted and sentenced to jail, Trump could continue his campaign to retake the White House.
“The Constitution does not bar felons from serving as President,” said Richard Hasen, professor of law and political science at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Trump could not pardon himself from any state charges, Hasen said.
I am tiring of conservatives constantly whining about how bad the Democrats are…. WE KNOW.
The question is where are the Worthless, Pathetic, Sickening, Spineless Republicans and what are they doing to finally take down these Radicals before we have no country left.
Endless ‘hearings’ that go no where. Endless lies that mean nothing.
If you’re not part of the solution, then you’re part of the problem !!
If any kind of hush money is to be attached to this Democrat legal larceny exercise in election outcome tampering, it is the payoff of an election win by hushing Trump up to the point he could not defend himself via his Constitutional rights to free speech and a fair trial. Hush up Trump, win the election, and the payoff is infinite to the party who flaunts the rule of law the best,,,,,all done in more debt piled up in kick-backed and laundered money for the taxpaying slaves to be chained to.
“Hush, little Trumpy, don’t say a word.
Biden’s gonna make you the mockingbird
And if that mockingbird can’t sing,
Hunter get’s a Chinese diamond ring
And if that diamond ring turns brass,
Dems are gonna break like a looking glass
And if that looking glass gets broke,
Biden’s gonna make Trump the Billy goat
And if that Billy goat won’t pull,
DeNiro’s gonna rage you a line of bull
And if that cart and bull turn over,
Biden’s just creates an election makeover,
And if their Bukk and cart fall down,
Everyone will know Joe’s the real clown.
Exactly. WE ARE SICK to death of the so-called GOP, being ALL TALK, but no action.
EITHER GET ON BOARD and do something, OR SHUT the heck up.
“disguising hush money payments to an adult film actress as legal costs ahead of the 2016 election.”,,,,,,but nothing will appear in Hunter’s goofball gun trail about his hush payments to hookers, pregnant Joe denied grandchildren, failure to pay hundreds of thousands in taxes on illegally laundered money, all paid BEFORE the 2020 election to protect dad from getting revealed as the immoral failed fraud father figure who looked the other way when his son bought hookers with funds laundered from Chinese, Russian and Ukrainian puppeteers, then kicked 10 % back to daddy. Joe thinks by convicting Trump of the very things he and his smarmy son have engaged in will make things go easy by comparison when it is Joe’s turn at legal repercussions and undemocratic attacks on our nation by changing the outcome of Presidential al Congressional election results by hiding hos own crimes and immoralities. When Joe’s own chickens come home to roost they will be about a fowled as they come. Just who gets the most punishment? The guy who is accused of adult actress salacious unprovable accusations, or Hunter, the guy who filmed his proud pornographic escapades for an entire generation to see and vomit over? How does a guy get convicted on 34 counts which nobody will tell us what exactly what they are or what was illegal about them? Just how stupid do these democrap apparatchiks think THE PEOPLE are?
VERY.. BUT looking at the history of their voter base, IS IT ANY wonder, WHY they see them that way!
All of the demoncrats who participated in this political fiasco – the Trump trial – should embarrassed. They should be prosecuted and convicted for acerebalism. This was a shameful display of partisanship and prejudice. To PatriotUSA, I don’t think there is a darn thing we can do to rectify this gross miscarriage of “justice”. Except come November we vote for Trump.
Punish them with extreme prejudice.
THEY HAVE No shame, so can’t be embarrased.
We’re here now. What next. Good there wasn’t any riotous behaviors. Mr. Trump can just campaign as usual and try to win. Issue is what’s to do if he wins. Hope he starts revealing meaningful relevant plans if he wins. Border a mute issue (can’t stop people from moving-didn;t stop us-and we nearly wiped out an entire group of people doing it), economy and employment OK, not much we can do about Israel-Palestinian situation so it would be nice to hear the plan. Not really much other than what we’re doing concerning Russians assault on Ukraine. Like 2016 US meaningful issues in decent shape. Sickens me when I hear “inflation, open borders, abolishing abortion’, stuff that happens as a result of the human experience. He may have to “DFAD” and cancel any other trials he’s involved in. Hopefully he keeps current White House Interns as sign of good faith intentions concerning all Americans. Hopefully US gets something out of this cozy mussy thing with China, N. Korea and Russia other than news headlines. Many truly believe history will be changed but don’t see that happening. Kids too smart. Be glad when this is all over and US gets back to the real.
“Border a mute issue (can’t stop people from moving-didn;t stop us-and we nearly wiped out an entire group of people doing it),”,,,,,,You need to google Operation ******* circa 1954,,,,thay said it couldn’t be done but they did it. Only takes leadership with enough testosterone to do it. You can not only stop people from ILLEGALLY immigrating, but deport them by the millions by making the punishments much higher than the rewards.
Exactly. AND WE need to also go after the Cartels, HEAVILY.. HIT their funds, the banks where they store what they make etc..
america burns and trump is the only one standing tall against the fire!
where are the repubicans? are they skerd the left wing commies will come for them also?
well the answer is a resounding YES and when the get you the conservatives and republican party members will be next.
you gop members in the house and senate are cowards and some are in bed with the left and i despise you all!
Mr. Trump still not through with campaigning. Understandable organized US justice system will react to election tampering, or ( asking for imaginary votes added to his total or storming the Capital or any other number of irregularities), issue is how response delivered. Anytime something hidden to hoodwink general public, during an election. somebody will yell. Issue is how do we respond to the charge. True, we’ve winked at a bunch of Mr. Trumps antics but, no point in denying. Focus more on why his plan worth all the baggage. Encourage Mr. Trump to spell out his plan if elected. Interested in hearing what it is. Is collecting more money really what we want from leadership? Abortions and birth control, people moving around, inflation, kids learning true American history are human experience issues difficult to misrepresent. Health care, job creation, AI, climate change (weather issues), this seemingly cozy mussy relationship with N. Korea and Russia, US realistic role in some of the current world crisis is completely absent from GOP game plan. Many conservative people still waiting to hear. Brokering big-time money-making deals don’t count when in a position of monitoring social services to the general population. Serving, that’s what national leadership is all about.
Hush money trial? Crux of issue was US justice apparatus considered it hiding something to influence the election. Election tampering. Rather than deny, make points on why, notwithstanding this practice is a real no-no, and what benefit to general population or what social services will be served if the DOJ just let this go. I’ve yet to hear plans that make sense going forward. “I’m going to get this person, pay back that group, indict, indict, indict” but leadership translate to serving. I have not just arrived from Mars or Jupiter ( in fact been following national scene since late 60’s) so, like many who have similar feelings, I’m still waiting on plans that are doable and make sense.
What a candidate says they plan to do and what they actually even try to accomplish are very different realities. (Biden, the UNITER?)
There are four years of Donald Trumps policies in action to look at.
Lower fuel costs, affordable food and housing, lowest minority unemployment EVER, no foreign wars, Islam terrorists in check, less porous border.