NEW YORK — Donald Trump, the former president and presumptive Republican nominee, was found guilty of falsifying business records by a New York jury on Thursday after two days of deliberations.
The jury reached its verdict after 9.5 hours of deliberations, which began Wednesday.
Trump was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment made by his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 presidential election.
The former president faces penalties from a fine to four years in prison on each count but it is widely expected he may do little to no prison time. Sentencing is scheduled for July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention.
“This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt,” Trump told reporters as he left the courtroom.
Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche made a motion for acquittal but the judge denied the request.
Even if Trump is sentenced to time behind bars, he’d most likely be allowed to remain out of jail while he appeals the verdict, according to legal experts.
Prosecutors argued the records were falsified because he was trying to cover up a violation of state election law and falsifying business records with the intent to cover another crime raises the offense from a misdemeanor to a felony.
Cohen was the lone witness to testify to Trump’s direct involvement in the $130,000 payment and the subsequent reimbursement plan. However, despite Trump attorney Todd Blanche attempting to discredit Cohen’s character, the jury asked to hear the former lawyer’s testimony again on Wednesday.
In all, the prosecution called 20 witnesses in the case, while the defense called two.
President Joe Biden’s campaign released a statement, saying that no one is above the law and the only way to keep Trump out of the White House is by voting in November.
“Donald Trump has always mistakenly believed he would never face consequences for breaking the law for his own personal gain,” Biden campaign spokesman Michael Tyler said in a statement. “But today’s verdict does not change the fact that the American people face a simple reality.”
