Donald Trump became the first U.S. president convicted of a crime on Thursday (May 30). A New York jury found him guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
Prosecutors said Trump falsely and illegally categorized reimbursements to his former lawyer Michael Cohen to cover up a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Cohen paid off Daniels to keep her silent about an alleged affair with Trump ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
The hush money trial began in April. It was the first of Trump’s four criminal cases to go to trial.
“This was a disgrace,” Trump said. “This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt … The real verdict is gonna be November 5 by the people. And they know what happened here. Everybody knows what happened here. You have a [George] Soros-backed D.A. and the whole thing—we didn’t do a thing wrong. I’m a very innocent man. And it’s okay. I’m fighting for our country.”
He added, “This was done by the Biden administration in order to hurt an opponent, a political opponent. And I think it’s just a disgrace. And we’ll keep fighting. And we’ll keep fighting till the end and we’ll win because our country’s gone to hell. We don’t have the same country anymore.”
Trump, who is running for president, faces up to four years in prison for each count of falsifying business records. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11.
Judge Juan Merchan will handle the sentencing. If Trump receives time behind bars, he will likely serve his sentences for each count concurrently.
Trump awaits trial in three more criminal cases. Two of the cases are related to election interference. The other has to do with his mishandling of classified documents. Trump pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
