Trump’s Hush Money Trial: Fmr. president found guilty, sentencing July 11
A New York jury has found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 counts related to hush money paid to an adult film star, Stormy Daniels’ ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Prosecutors say Trump led a conspiracy to influence the outcome of the race. They say he covered up a 130,000-dollar payment to buy actor Stormy Daniels’ silence about a sexual encounter.
After weeks of hearings and two days of deliberations, a 12-person jury agreed with their arguments to convict Trump thus making him the first-ever former US president to be convicted of a crime.
Trump maintains he is innocent, and claims the outcome of the court case was politically-motivated. “Our whole country is being rigged right now. This was done by the Biden administration in order to wound or hurt an opponent, a political opponent,” he said.
Trump could face from probation to four years in prison. His sentencing date is set for July 11th — just days before the Republican national convention kicks off in Wisconsin, where he’s expected to win the nomination.
Trump said: “The real verdict is going to be November 5th by the people. And they know what happened here and everybody knows what happened here.”
Under the US Constitution, Trump’s conviction does not prevent him from running in the presidential election. He is also expected to appeal the verdict, a process which could take months.
