By Allan Lengel
On the second day of deliberations, a Manhattan jury found ex-President Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony state charges involving falsifying business records in a hush-payment case involving sex with a porn star.
Trump becomes the first American ex-president in history to be convicted in a criminal court. How that impacts his presidential bid in November is yet to be determined.
Authorities charged Trump with falsifying business records to cover up a 2016 hush-payment to Stormy Daniels, who says she had sex with Trump. Prosecutors alleged that Trump hid the $130,000 payment so it wouldn’t hurt his chances of winning the 2016 presidential election.
“This was a rigged decision right from day one with a conflicted judge who should have never been allowed to try this case, never,” Trump said outside the courtroom.
He also blamed the Biden administration for the trial and said the real verdict will be Nov. 5, a reference to the election.
He will be sentenced July 11, days before the Republican National Convention.
All along, Trump has called the trial a sham and has accused President Joe Biden, his opponent in the 2024 election, of having a hand in prosecuting the case even though it is a state, not federal case.
Trump still faces two federal criminal cases, one in D.C. and the other in Florida. Additionally, he faces charges in a state election fraud case in Atlanta.
He’s accused prosecutors and the White House of election interference.
