In a groundbreaking verdict, former US President Donald Trump has been convicted of a felony for the first time in history.
A jury on Thursday found Trump guilty on 34 charges of falsifying business records. The charges stem from a cover-up scheme in which Trump allegedly hid reimbursement payments to his former attorney, Michael Cohen, who had paid hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged affair with Trump before the 2016 presidential election. Trump has consistently denied the affair.
Judge Juan Merchan has scheduled Trump’s sentencing for July 11. Despite the guilty verdict, Trump remains the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee for the upcoming election, and he is still eligible to be elected president again. Trump has denounced the charges as politically motivated.
“We didn’t do anything wrong. I’m a very innocent man,” Trump declared upon exiting the courtroom. “This was a rigged, disgraceful trial. The real verdict will come on November 5, by the people. They know what happened here and everybody knows what happened here.”
