Donald Trump was found guilty on all counts in a unanimous decision by a Manhattan jury of 12 in the hush money trial that made history as the first criminal trial of a former president.
Trump was charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels, a porn star he allegedly had an affair with in the early years of his marriage to Melania Trump. Prosecutors argued the payments, made on the eve of the 2016 election, were part of a conspiracy to influence the presidential race.
Trump pled not guilty and denied any wrongdoing. He has long denied ever having an affair with Daniels, though he does not dispute paying for her silence.
During the jury’s two-day deliberation, it requested to be read testimony from two witnesses for the prosecution, former National Enquirer chief David Pecker and former Trump fixer Michael Cohen.
“Today is an important day for accountability and the rule of law,” Cohen said in a statement to Mediaite reacting to the verdict. “While it has been a difficult journey for me and my family, the truth always matters. I want to thank my attorneys Danya Perry and Joshua Kolb for their invaluable guidance and support throughout this process.”
The case is one of four criminal prosecutions facing Trump, including the classified documents, Georgia election interference, and federal election interference cases. The hush money trial, however, is expected to be the only one Trump will face before election day in November.
Trump promised retribution to those he sees as responsible for his criminal cases. While the hush money case is being prosecuted in New York and has nothing to do with the Biden administration, Trump has pledged to appoint a special prosecutor to “go after” President Joe Biden and his family.
Watch Jake Tapper read the guilty counts above, via CNN.
Additional reporting by Diana Falzone.
