In an unprecedented ruling, former U.S. President Donald Trump was convicted on all charges on Thursday in a hush money case, becoming the first ex-president in the nation’s history to be found guilty of a crime. The conviction comes just months before Trump aims to regain the White House in the 2024 election.
A New York jury found the 77-year-old Republican guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, made shortly before the 2016 presidential election to buy her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump.
While Trump could face up to four years in prison on each count, legal experts say he is more likely to receive probation as a first-time offender when sentenced on July 11 – just days before the Republican convention where he is expected to be nominated as the party’s presidential candidate.
Trump, who was released without bail, maintains his innocence and denounced the trial as “rigged” and a “disgrace.” However, the conviction marks him as a felon – a historic first for a former U.S. president.
The nine-week trial featured testimony from Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, who provided graphic details about her alleged 2006 sexual encounter with the married Trump. Prosecutors argued the hush money payment, funneled through Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen, was part of an illegal plot to cover up information that could have derailed Trump’s 2016 White House bid.
Despite the conviction, Trump is not barred from running for president again, even if he receives a jail sentence. His campaign issued a defiant fundraising appeal after the verdict, calling Trump “a political prisoner”.
The hush money case is just one of several legal battles Trump faces, including charges of trying to overturn his 2020 election loss and mishandling classified documents after leaving office.