Gulte News
A New York jury found former US President Donald Trump guilty of all 34 felony charges of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. The payment was made by Trump’s then-personal lawyer Michael Cohen before the 2016 elections.
Seventyseven-year-old Trump is the first US President to be convicted of any crime. He is also facing three other pending criminal cases.
His sentencing for the hush money case was scheduled for July 11, which is just days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where the twice-impeached Trump is set to be formally confirmed as the GOP’s presidential nominee.
Trump could face a maximum possible punishment of four years in prison for each count, although Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan is not bound to sentence him to any prison time. Trump is certain to appeal the verdict.
The former president was found guilty of falsifying business records that purported to describe legal expenses payments by him and the Trump Organization to Cohen to reimburse the former fixer for the $130,000 payment Cohen personally gave Daniels before the 2016 election.
Cohen and Daniels both testified that the money was to prevent her from selling to media outlets her story of having sex with Trump one time in 2006, months after his wife Melania Trump gave birth to their son Barron Trump.
Cohen said Trump directed him to pay Daniels to prevent her from damaging his chance of winning the White House in 2016.
Trump’s demeanor did not change during the reading of the verdict, which came at about 5:05 p.m. after jurors in the state court deliberated for fewer than 10 hours over two days. His son Eric Trump looked angry after the jury foreman repeatedly said “guilty” to each count as it was read.
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