A jury has delivered a verdict in President Trump’s “hush money” lawsuit, which has been going on for six weeks.
The 12-judge jury, seven of whom were men, found Trump guilty of all 34 separate charges in the “hush money” case.
Thus, for the first time in U.S. history, a former president who appeared before a judge on charges against him was convicted.
“I’m a very innocent guy.”
“This was a shameful and fraudulent trial. People know what happened here. I am completely innocent. I am defending our country and our Constitution,” Trump said in a brief statement to the media after the jury’s verdict.
President Trump claimed the country had gone to hell, reiterated that the lawsuit was brought by his political opponents, and said, “Our country is in big trouble, this is a rigged decision, and this judge should never have been allowed to sit in on this case.”
Trump was convicted in the “hush money” case.
Former US President Donald Trump was convicted on all 34 charges he faced. Read more @trthaber Reporter Magro Shanle reports. pic.twitter.com/zpI9qY0zGf
— TRT News Live (@trthabercanli) May 30, 2024
Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over the case, set a date of July 11, 2024 for Trump to be sentenced after the jury reaches a verdict.
President Trump’s “hush money” scandal
U.S. President Donald Trump was indicted by a grand jury on March 18, 2023, as part of an investigation conducted by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office into illegal “hush money” payments to Stormy Daniels, an actress who appeared in adult films, during the 2016 presidential election.
Trump appeared before a judge in New York on charges of “hush money” and related record fraud on April 4, 2023. President Trump has rejected the 34 separate charges against him, describing the allegations against him as a “political witch hunt” and saying he views the accusations as “election interference.”
Trump is recorded as “the first former president in American history to appear before a judge on charges against him.”
Trump is the first former president in U.S. history to be convicted.
What happens next?
The first trial before President Trump, who was found guilty by a jury today, will be a hearing on July 11th where a guilty verdict will be entered.
Judge Juan Juan Merchan could sentence Trump to one to four years in prison, but experts stress that the drug offense for which Trump was convicted was a Class E misdemeanor under New York state law and no prison time is necessary in this case.
Trump therefore faces a very small prison sentence or other penalties, including fines, restitution, probation and other conditions, or he may not go to prison at all.
If Trump is sentenced to prison, he is sure to appeal the sentence.
In this case, a months-long appeals process would begin, meaning Trump would be able to assume office as president if he wins the election.
If Trump is found guilty, will this have an impact on the presidential election?
According to constitutional experts and lawyers involved in the issue, if Trump is found guilty in court and his conviction is announced on July 11, he could run in the presidential election on November 5 and become president of the United States again if he wins.
Experts say that even if Trump is convicted on July 11, there will be no obstacle to him running for office and becoming president if he wins.
How will this decision affect the presidential election?
Although it does not legally prevent him from running for election, there is debate as to whether the possibility of being “convicted” and receiving a prison sentence is advantageous or disadvantageous to President Trump.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll of registered voters conducted in April found that one in four Republicans said they would not vote for Trump if he was convicted of a criminal offense.
The same poll found that 60% of independents said they would not vote if Trump was convicted.
Meanwhile, a sizable portion of Trump’s Republican base believes the trial was “rigged” by Democrats, and polls suggest that these Republican voters will likely support Trump to some extent.
