Donald Trump Found Guilty In Hush Money Trial … Makes History As First President To Be Convicted of a Felony!
Donald Trump Found Guilty In Hush Money Trial … Makes History As First President To Be Convicted of a Felony!
In a groundbreaking verdict, Donald Trump has been found guilty in the Hush Money Trial, marking a historic moment as the first president to be convicted of a felony.
In a historic verdict, a New York jury has convicted former U.S. President Donald Trump on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, marking the first time a former president has been found guilty of a crime.
The verdict, delivered in a Manhattan courtroom where Trump has been on trial since April 15, saw the ex-president facing charges related to a hush money payment made by his former lawyer Michael Cohen to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the final weeks of the 2016 presidential election.
As the jury foreperson pronounced the word “guilty” to each count, Trump, seated in the courtroom, looked down with narrowed eyes.
After 9.5 hours of deliberation that began Wednesday, the jury reached its historic decision.
This monumental conviction comes amidst Trump’s status as the presumptive Republican nominee for president.
Addressing the jurors, Judge Juan Merchan expressed gratitude for their weeks-long dedication to the case, stating, “You gave this matter the attention it deserved, and I want to thank you for that.”
Following the jury’s departure, Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, made a motion for acquittal, which the judge promptly denied.
In his closing arguments earlier in the week, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass emphasized, “the law is the law and it applies to everyone equally. There is no special standard for this defendant,” urging the jury to hold Trump accountable.
However, Blanche maintained Trump’s innocence, stating, “President Trump is innocent. He did not commit any crimes,” and arguing that the payments to Cohen were legitimate.
Prosecutors painted a different picture, alleging a “planned, coordinated long-running conspiracy to influence the 2016 election,” with prosecutor Matthew Colangelo asserting, “It was election fraud. Pure and simple.”
While Trump was not charged with conspiracy, prosecutors argued that he caused the records to be falsified to cover up a violation of state election law, thus elevating the offense from a misdemeanor to a felony.
The trial, marked by sensational testimony, featured Cohen, Trump’s self-described former fixer, and Daniels, who testified about a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Other witnesses included former White House staffers, Trump Organization executives, and former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker.
Despite prior assertions that he would testify, Trump did not take the stand. The defense’s main witness, Robert Costello, enraged the judge with disrespectful behavior during his testimony, prompting threats of contempt.
Cohen admitted to lying about Trump’s involvement at the time, stating he did so to protect his former boss.
Michael Cohen emerged as a pivotal figure in the recent conviction of former President Donald Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, with his testimony providing crucial insights into Trump’s involvement in the $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels and the subsequent reimbursement scheme.
Despite facing rigorous scrutiny of his credibility by Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, Cohen’s revelations stood firm. Acknowledging his past of falsehoods, Cohen admitted to swindling Trump and his company out of $30,000, underscoring the tangled web of deceit surrounding the payment to Daniels.
Cohen detailed a series of payments from Trump throughout 2017, alongside the hush money paid to Daniels, which Trump’s organization categorized as payments for “legal services rendered.” However, prosecutors contested this portrayal, asserting that there was no such agreement, a position supported by documentary evidence and witness testimony.
David Pecker, former National Enquirer publisher, corroborated Cohen’s account, testifying about a 2015 meeting with Trump and Cohen where they solicited his help in quashing scandalous stories detrimental to Trump’s campaign. Pecker disclosed payments made to individuals such as a doorman and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, aimed at silencing their allegations.
Although Trump promised reimbursement for McDougal’s payment, it never materialized, as revealed in a secret recording made by Cohen. Pecker’s testimony also shed light on his involvement in alerting Cohen to Daniels’ story in October 2016, amidst the fallout from the “Access Hollywood” tape release, where Trump made lewd remarks about women.
Blanche contended that the checks Trump issued to Cohen were for legitimate legal services, a claim contradicted by testimony from Jeff McConney, a former senior vice president at Trump’s company. McConney corroborated that Cohen was being reimbursed specifically for the payments to Daniels and others, supported by handwritten notes from the company’s chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg.
Weisselberg’s absence from the trial, due to a jail sentence related to a perjury charge, did not diminish his significance. Witnesses, including Cohen and McConney, emphasized Weisselberg’s pivotal role in seeking Trump’s approval for significant expenditures.
Throughout the trial, Trump attempted to frame the charges as politically motivated, alleging a conspiracy orchestrated by President Joe Biden. Despite Merchan’s attempts to maintain order in the courtroom, Trump’s breaches of protocol resulted in fines and warnings of potential imprisonment.
Trump’s indictment in March of the previous year marked a significant milestone, as it was the first instance of charges brought against a former president. However, with pending cases in Washington, D.C., Georgia, and federal courts, the outcome of Trump’s legal battles remains uncertain leading up to the presidential election.
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