A New York jury found Donald Trump guilty of all counts in his hush money case on Thursday, making him the first former US president to be found guilty of a crime. This verdict comes months before an election that may possibly see Trump return to the White House.
The 34 charges of manipulating company documents to conceal a payment intended to silence porn star Stormy Daniels were all found guilty by the jury. Although a four-year prison term for each crime is a possibility, probation is more likely.
Released without posting bond, the 77-year-old Republican is now a felon, a historic and shocking first in a nation where presidents are sometimes referred to as the most powerful man in the world.
In the improbable event that Trump is imprisoned, he is still free to carry on with his campaign to defeat President Joe Biden in November.
His attorney, Todd Blanche, stated that an appeal will be pursued “as soon as we can.” And Trump expressed his own instant disobedience.
“I’m a very innocent man,” Trump declared to the media, adding that election day voters will provide the “true verdict.” He called the trial a “disgrace” and “rigged.”
In a statement, Biden’s campaign stated that the trial demonstrated that “no one is above the law.” “Trump poses a threat to our democracy that has never been greater,” it said.
Four days before Trump is scheduled to accept the party’s official nomination in Milwaukee at the Republican National Convention, Judge Juan Merchan scheduled the sentence for July 11.
The 12-person jury debated for over 11 hours over two days, and in a couple of minutes, the foreman announced the unanimous verdict.
After they finished the “difficult and stressful task,” Merchan thanked the jurors. Their names had remained a secret during the whole legal process, an uncommon approach that is often observed in situations involving dangerous offenders or members of the mafia.
In addition, Trump is accused by both federal and state authorities of planning to rig the 2020 election in favor of Biden and of retaining classified material after leaving the White House.
That being said, it is doubtful that those trials—which center around far more serious accusations—will begin before to the presidential election.
Election conspiracy
On the eve of the 2016 election, Trump was found guilty of forging business papers in order to reimburse his attorney, Michael Cohen, for paying Daniels $130,000. Daniels’ allegation that they had sex might have been catastrophic for Trump’s campaign against Hillary Clinton.
The adult actress, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, gave extensive testimony throughout the trial, graphically describing to the judge what she claims was a 2006 sexual encounter between her and the married Trump.
The prosecution effectively presented evidence that the use of hush money and the unlawful concealment of the payment was a component of a larger scheme to keep voters ignorant of Trump’s actions.
The decision was hailed as “an important day for accountability and the rule of law” by Cohen, the crucial witness who exposed his former boss as a corrupt assistant.
Trump did not testify in his own defense, although he has denied having a sexual relationship with Stormy Daniels. Any payments paid to the performer, according to his attorneys, were perfectly lawful.
Launching a Campaign From the Courthouse
The trial has diverted Trump’s attention from his efforts to remove Biden. But all along, he capitalized on the attention from the media.
Trump’s campaign released a fundraising appeal headed “I am a political prisoner!” shortly after the decision was rendered. He also said that early on Friday, he will address the media in public.
The political ramifications of the horrific events are yet unknown, according to Texas Christian University professor and political analyst Keith Gaddie.
“It probably doesn’t change many votes, but it may have an impact on the margins in some states with certain swing votes. Therefore, it can shift things back in one direction or the other in really close contests,” he warned.
As a first-time offender, Trump, who rose to prominence as a brazen real estate billionaire before making a shocking run for the presidency in the 2016 election, will probably be placed on probation.
Although almost guaranteed, an appeal might take many months to process.
If he were to become president, he would not be able to pardon himself since the state of New York, not the federal government, filed the case, and only the governor could clean his record.