Donald J. Trump, the former president and likely 2024 Republican nominee, has been found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a payment made to silence a porn star.
This case, which prosecutors described as a fraud against the American people, marks Trump as the first American president to be declared a felon.
A jury of 12 New Yorkers reached the verdict after two days of deliberation, determining that Trump had falsified records to conceal payments made to his former fixer, Michael D. Cohen.
These payments, disguised as legal expenses, were actually reimbursements for $130,000 given to Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about an alleged affair with Trump.
Trump, who remained largely expressionless during the verdict, faces sentencing on July 11.
The conviction carries a potential sentence of up to four years in prison, but Trump may receive probation and plans to appeal the verdict, possibly delaying the case’s resolution for years.
This verdict, however, is a significant moment in American history, concluding one of four criminal cases against Trump that could have gone to trial before the next election.
