On all 34 counts of falsifying company records, the jury in the so-called “hush money” case has declared 45th President Donald Trump guilty.
In little more than eleven hours, the jury returned their verdict.
Before the announcement, reporters, prosecutors, and Trump all anticipated the jury’s dismissal for the day at 4:30 p.m.
Shortly after the announcement of the decision, Trump sat in the courtroom with his arms crossed and a disappointed expression on his face.
Trump fans, meanwhile, shared their opinions about the decision on social media.
“Ray Charles could have predicted that,” a commentator on Meta (Facebook) stated.
Given that the trial took place in the strongly liberal state of New York before a liberal judge whose daughter works for a company that assists Democratic politicians with their digital campaigns by offering services like web design, mobile messaging, and online fundraising, many had anticipated the guilty verdict.
This case involved Trump’s conviction for 34 charges related to falsifying company records, including a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels made by his personal attorney Michael Cohen before the 2016 election.
Only a few hours had passed before the Manhattan Supreme Court jury saw readbacks of Cohen’s and former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker’s testimony, along with portions of Merchan’s legal instructions.
With regard to criminal accusations, Trump is the first former US president to face them.
Cohen claimed throughout the trial that Trump instructed him to pay Daniels prior to the 2016 election in an effort to prevent her from undermining his prospects of winning the presidency.
“This was a rigged trial, an embarrassment… They refused to let us switch locations. This region and this district… November 5th will be the actual verdict. I am an innocent man, and neither of us did anything illegal. I am fighting for the Constitution and for the nation. “We are going to defend our constitution,” Trump declared following the verdict. ”
The sentence will be served on July 11.
July 15th–18th is when the Republican National Convention will take place.
