Donald Trump made history by being the first former United States president to be convicted of a felony.
A New York jury found him guilty of all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election. Further details revealed that the former US president had tried to pay off a porn actor to keep quiet about their alleged sexual encounter.
After more than nine hours of deliberation in the legal chamber, Donald Trump, who sat expressionless while the verdict was read, could hear his supporters and detractors cheer 15 floors below the courthouse.
While leaving the courtroom, the former US president immediately spoke to news reporters about what he thought of the latest verdict on his legal battle.
“This was a rigged, disgraceful trial. The real verdict is going to be on Nov. 5 by the people. They know what happened, and everyone knows what happened here,” Trump added.
More Details About Donald Trump's Hush Money Case
There were charges against Donald Trump for falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to Stormy Daniels.
Stormy Daniels was the porn actor who said she had sex with the married Trump in 2006. Furthermore, Trump’s former lawyer and personal fixer Michael Cohen was the one who made the $130,000 payment to the porn actor.
According to the prosecutors, the attempt to buy Daniels’ silence during the final weeks of the 2016 race could be considered an effort to interfere with the elections.
When Cohen made the payments to the porn actor, it was recorded as legal expenses. The prosecutors pointed out that this was an unlawful attempt to mask the real purpose of the transaction.
In their defense, Trump's lawyers had denied all the accusations from the prosecutors. In fact, they tried to undermine the credibility of Stormy Daniels. According to their defense, the chief prosecutor's witness had pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal charges related to the payments.
Trump's felony conviction also included local and federal charges in Atlanta and Washington that he tried to undo the 2020 election. Furthermore, there's also a federal charge against him in Florida, saying that Trump was involved in illegally hoarding top-secret records.
What Happens To Donald Trump's Presidential Campaign?
With the new development regarding Trump's felony conviction, there are questions about his presidential bid. What happens to his reputation? Is he still among the favorites to win the elections?
While Trump maintains that he's not guilty, the Republican Party leaders seem to be behind him as well. The House Speaker Mike Johnson immediately released a statement calling the latest verdict as a disgraceful political warfare against the Republicans.
He said it was “a shameful day in American history” while adding that the case was “a purely political exercise, not a legal one.”
While the 12-person jury's verdict might damage Trump's reputation, there's still provision for him to become the US president even from prison.
Judge Juan Merchan has already set sentencing for July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Nevertheless, the Trump campaign seems to be doing well despite the setbacks.
According to CNBC, Trump's campaign raised a whopping $34.8 million immediately after the verdict.