Trump guilty: Historic verdict on former president's hush money case
3:04 AM EDT, May 31, 2024
Donald Trump was found guilty in the case of hiding the payment for the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels. The decision of the New York court was commented on on social media by U.S. President Joe Biden.
"There's only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: At the ballot box," wrote Biden on his personal profile on platform X.
His campaign team issued a statement, assessing that the verdict announced on Thursday shows that "no one is above the law".
"Donald Trump has always mistakenly believed he would never face consequences for breaking the law for his own personal gain," they wrote.
Trump guilty. The first such situation in U.S. history
A jury in a state court in Manhattan, New York, found former President Donald Trump guilty on 34 counts. The case involved falsifying business records related to hiding the payment for the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election campaign regarding their alleged sexual encounter.
The prosecution accused Trump of hiding the payment for Daniels' silence about their alleged encounter, alleging that the then-Republican candidate sought to illegally influence the election.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of up to one year in prison, but Judge Juan Merchan will decide the sentence. The former U.S. President's sentencing will take place on July 11th, just a few days before Republicans plan to decide on their candidate for the U.S. presidential election.
Trump thus became the first U.S. President in history to be convicted in a criminal case.
