Trump Found Guilty on All Counts in Historic Criminal Trial
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump was found guilty Thursday afternoon in New York on 34 counts of falsifying business records, making him the first American president in history to be convicted of a felony.
He now faces the possibility of prison as he continues his campaign for reelection as president. Sentencing is scheduled for July 11.
Trump looked intently at each of the jurors as the jury foreman read the verdict but said nothing.
The jury reached the verdict in a complete victory for the prosecution on the second day of its deliberations. It started the day by reviewing the judge’s instructions and a transcript of part of the testimony.
The testimony they reviewed came from his former attorney and a former publisher of the National Enquirer.
They both implicated Trump in conspiring to pay hush money to two women who claim they had sex with him and then covering it up in invoices, business ledgers and checks by improperly categorizing them as “legal expenses.”
Trump denied having sex with the women or falsifying business records. He was charged with one felony for each record prosecutors say was falsified.
The sentence he faces could range from probation to four years in prison.
As he left the courthouse, Trump addressed the media to say, “This was a rigged, disgraceful trial.”
He continued to argue the charges against him were wrongful in an apparent hint at an appeal.
“We didn’t do a thing wrong,” Trump said. “I’m a very innocent man.”
He added, “We’ll fight to the end and we’ll win.”
Trump appeared to suspect the verdict would go against him when he put out a message on social media earlier in the day saying the trial was “rigged” against him.
As he entered the courtroom before the verdict was announced, he turned to media cameras to say, “I want to campaign.”
Outside the courthouse, a large crowd erupted in shouts as media reports announced the verdict.
The judge was preparing to send the jury home at 4:30 p.m. At 4:20 p.m., the jury foreman sent him a note saying they reached a verdict.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., called the verdict “a shameful day in American history.”
Ian Sams, a spokesman for White House Counsel’s Office, said only, “We respect the rule of law, and have no additional comment.”
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