Donald Trump has been found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records.
A jury found the former US president paid hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels and falsified business records to conceal the payment during the 2016 election campaign.
The jury in the New York criminal trial returned its verdict after less than two days of deliberations. Trump stared straight ahead as the verdicts were read. He had pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Donald Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche asked Justice Juan Merchan to throw out the verdict, arguing it relied on the unreliable testimony of Michael Cohen.
The judge swiftly denied the request. The former president will be sentenced on July 11.
Outside court, Trump labelled the trial “a disgrace.”
“This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt,” he said. “This is a rigged trial. A disgrace.
“We didn’t do a thing wrong. I am a very innocent man. I am fighting for our country, I am fighting for our constitution. Our whole country is being rigged right now.”
The historic verdict could threaten his 2024 bid to return to the White House. Trump can still run and his poll numbers remained steady during the more than month-long trial, though some voters have said they might be less likely to vote for him if he were convicted.
Trump still faces three other criminal cases – two relating to alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election result, and one over the handling of classified documents. They are unlikely to go to trial before the presidential election in November.
Source: ABC News.
