The First in Presidential History! Former US President Trump Convicted on 34 Counts of Hush Money Payments, Sentencing Overlaps with Nomination Period
The New York jury on Thursday found former President Trump guilty of all 34 counts of falsifying business records, stemming from his former personal lawyer’s payment of hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.
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First Conviction of a U.S. President
Sentencing Date Before Key Republican Event
Hush Money Incident
Trump Claims Innocence
Biden Campaign: Trump is a Threat to Democracy
Sentencing Could Impact the Election
77-year-old Trump becomes the first convicted president in U.S. history, and he still faces three other pending criminal cases. In addition to the criminal conviction, Trump also faces a $45 million civil judgment for business fraud by the Manhattan Supreme Court. He is also appealing two civil defamation judgments, which amount to nearly $90 million in damages, in a case involving allegations of rape by Trump in the mid-1990s.
The Manhattan Supreme Court judge has scheduled Trump’s sentencing for 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on July 11th, just a few days before the Republican National Convention, when Trump is expected to be confirmed as the Republican presidential candidate.
Although Trump faces a maximum of four years in prison for each charge, his legal team has expressed plans to appeal.
These charges involve Trump and the Trump Organization falsifying business records to conceal payments made to his personal lawyer, who had given adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 in exchange for her silence about her extramarital affair with Trump in 2006. The parties involved have also confirmed that the payment was intended to prevent the story from affecting Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Trump maintained his unchanged attitude during the reading of the verdict. His son showed obvious anger when the jury read the “guilty” verdict for each charge. After the verdict, Trump claimed his innocence and called the trial a “disgrace,” accusing the judge of corruption.
President Biden’s campaign team quickly responded, stating that Trump’s conviction highlights his threat to democracy. The campaign spokesperson said that the only way to prevent Trump from returning to the White House is through the ballot.
The Manhattan District Attorney who prosecuted the case praised the dedication of the jurors. He pointed out that despite involving a former president, the trial proceeded like any other case, with jurors reviewing extensive evidence and hearing testimony from 22 witnesses.
If Trump is not imprisoned this fall, he will still retain his right to run for office. As the legal battles continue, these events have significant implications for his political future and the Republican Party.
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