Former US President Donald Trump was convicted of falsifying records to cover up a secret payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 US presidential election.
This historic decision makes Trump the first US president in history to be convicted on criminal charges.
Here’s what we know so far:
What has Trump been found guilty of?
After a seven-week trial, shortly after 5pm local time (9pm GMT) on Thursday, a New York City jury unanimously found him guilty of all 34 criminal counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.
Daniels claimed that before the 2016 election, which Trump ended up winning, he paid her $130,000 to remain silent about an affair the two had a decade ago. Trump denies the affair. Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, made the payment and testified that he acted on Trump’s direct orders. Cohen insists that Trump repaid him, using the money raised for his election campaign.
The 34 counts relate to the different ways in which Trump categorized this hush money as legal fees in his records, which, according to the court, included:
- Eleven invoices for legal services
- Eleven checks paid for legal services
- Twelve accounting entries for legal expenses
Will Trump go to prison?
Trump is unlikely to go to prison, although it is technically possible.
While paying hush money itself is not illegal, each count of forgery carries a penalty ranging from one year to a maximum of four years. Therefore, in theory, Trump could face a total of 136 years in prison.
But in practice, it is unusual for people who are convicted only of falsifying business records and have no other criminal record to be sentenced to prison in New York. Instead, punishments such as probation, fines, or community service are more common.
Even those who are sentenced to prison for forgery convictions typically serve a year or less in prison, and this is also typically if they are also convicted of other crimes such as fraud or theft – which is not the case with Trump.
When will the sentencing take place?
At the end of Thursday’s proceedings, sentencing was set for 10am (2pm GMT) on July 11, at the request of defense lawyer Todd Blanche.
Trump will return to court during his sentencing.
This hearing comes four days before Trump is formally nominated as the party’s presidential candidate at the Republican Party’s national convention.
Can Trump still run for president as a criminal?
Yes, Trump can still run for president of the United States in the November 2024 elections.
The US Constitution requires presidents to be at least 35 years old and to be natural-born US citizens who have lived in the country for 14 years – Trump meets all the criteria. It does not prevent convicts from contesting.
Can Trump appeal his conviction?
After Trump’s conviction, his lawyer, Blanche, asked Judge Merchan to throw out the guilty verdict. But Merchan quickly rejected the routine pro forma request.
However, after sentencing, Trump may challenge his conviction in a New York appellate court and possibly the Court of Appeal. His lawyers are believed to be already laying the groundwork for possible arguments, including:
- He may accuse the judge of bias, arguing that the judge’s daughter leads a firm that counts several Democrats as clients, including President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
- He may argue that Judge Merchan made legal errors, including in allowing jurors to hear Daniels’ salacious testimony.
- Blanche argued that Daniels’ description of a power imbalance with the older, taller Trump was a “dog whistle for rape,” irrelevant to the case.
- Trump could argue that the charges themselves were legally improper. Forgery by itself is a misdemeanor in New York, but is elevated to a felony when done to help commit or conceal another crime. In this case, the other crime, according to prosecutors, was conspiracy to violate a state election law. However, Trump’s lawyers could argue that since he was running in a federal election, state election laws did not apply to him and therefore he should have been charged with a misdemeanor rather than a felony.
How could this affect the US elections?
According to a poll released by NPR, PBS NewsHour and Marist on May 30, 67% of respondents said their vote in November would not be affected if Trump was found guilty.
Former prosecutor and government ethicist Melanie Sloan told Al Jazeera that the guilty verdict would likely drive a wedge between Trump and more moderate constituents.
A poll conducted by Bloomberg and Morning Consult in January showed that 53 percent of voters in key swing states would refuse to vote for Trump if he were convicted.
Trump’s election campaign began betting on conviction even before the guilty verdict was released: his campaign launched fundraising appeals, sent text messages deeming him a political prisoner and began selling black “Make America Great” hats Again” to mark a “black day”. in history”.
Trump will hold a press conference on Friday at Trump Tower as part of his US presidential election campaign.
Trump’s daughter-in-law and Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump told Fox News on Thursday that Trump would conduct campaign events and rallies online if convicted and sentenced to house arrest.
How did Trump react?
As he left the courtroom, Trump suggested the conviction was orchestrated by the Biden administration.
“Our entire country is being defrauded right now,” he told reporters as he left the courthouse.
Other reactions
Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, posted a childhood photo with Trump to her Instagram Story on Thursday, with the caption “I love you, dad.” Ivanka and Trump’s wife, Melania Trump, remained silent during the trial.
Current president and Democratic challenger in the November elections, Biden posted an election fundraiser on his X account on Thursday, writing “There is only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the polls.”
There’s only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the polls.
-Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 30, 2024
Trump’s view that the conviction was politically motivated was echoed by Republican lawmakers.
Among them was House Speaker Mike Johnson, who wrote “Today is a shameful day in American history” in an X post on Thursday. “The weaponization of our judicial system has been a hallmark of the Biden administration.”
My statement regarding President Trump’s trial verdict:
Today is a shameful day in American history. Democrats cheered as they convicted the leader of the opposing party on ridiculous charges based on the testimony of a convicted criminal expelled from prison. This was a purely political issue…
– Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) May 30, 2024
However, former Maryland Republican governor Larry Hogan wrote in the X before the verdict that Americans should “respect the verdict and the legal process.”
Regardless of the outcome, I urge all Americans to respect the verdict and the legal process. At this dangerously divided moment in our history, all leaders – regardless of party – must not add fuel to the fire with more toxic partisanship. We must reaffirm what this nation has done…
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) May 30, 2024
California Democratic Representative Adam Schiff wrote on X on Thursday: “Despite his efforts to distract, delay and deny – justice has come for Donald Trump all the same.”
Guilty.
Today, twelve ordinary American citizens found a former president guilty of dozens of crimes.
Despite his efforts to distract, delay and deny – justice has come for Donald Trump all the same.
And the rule of law prevailed.
-Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) May 30, 2024
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
