Trump rages at verdicts as he’s found guilty 34 times in historic case
Donald Trump has been found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with a criminal hush-money scheme aimed at influencing the 2016 election. This verdict follows less than 12 hours of jury deliberation, marking the first criminal conviction of a former U.S. president.
Trump, convicted by a jury of 12 New Yorkers, was found guilty of felony falsification of business records, which involves making false entries in records with the intent to commit another crime. He is scheduled for sentencing on July 11 at 10 a.m. ET.
Following the verdict, Trump denounced the trial as “rigged” and the judge as “corrupt.” His lawyer, Todd Blanche, announced plans to appeal the verdict, a process that could take months or years.
The prosecution argued that Trump falsely recorded reimbursements to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who paid adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 for her silence about an alleged affair. These payments were misrepresented as “legal expenses.” The prosecution maintained that the falsifications aimed to conceal a violation of New York state election law, framing the payment as an illegal campaign contribution.
Republican reactions were strong, with House Speaker Mike Johnson calling it a “shameful day in American history,” and Elise Stefanik, chair of the House Republican Conference, criticising the justice system as “corrupt” and “rigged” under the Biden administration.