A federal jury has found former President Donald Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records. The historic trial took place over the last few months in New York City, hindering Trump’s potential campaign efforts for reelection in the 2024 Presidential Primary. His sentencing is set for July 11.
The 12-person jury has been considering whether Trump is guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records, which are connected to the alleged cover-up of hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The jury was unanimous in its decision.
Trump now faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. While each felony count carries up to four years in jail, adding up to 136 years, New York law limits the sentence for this type of crime to a maximum of 20 years.
The jury in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial in New York spent most of the latter half of this week deliberating a verdict: guilty.
The guilty verdict will have significant legal implications for Trump, especially as he seeks to reclaim the White House. An acquittal, on the other hand, would be a major win for him and could embolden his campaign efforts.
Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records at his company. These charges are related to an alleged scheme to hide potentially embarrassing stories about him during his 2016 presidential election campaign.
The charge stems from reimbursements paid to Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, after Cohen made a $130,000 hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels. The payment was intended to silence her claims that she and Trump had a sexual encounter in 2006.
The 12-person jury deliberated for about 4 1/2 hours on Wednesday without reaching a verdict. They have asked to rehear testimony from key witnesses and reviewed jury instructions for drawing inferences from evidence.
The trial delved into the details of these payments and their potential violation of campaign finance laws. Testimonies, evidence, and legal arguments were presented from both sides, shaping a complex and highly publicized legal battle.
During the hush money trial, Donald Trump faced allegations regarding payments made to women in exchange for their silence about alleged affairs.
A closer look at the charges
Charge 1: Trump allegedly caused a false invoice from Michael Cohen in the Trump Organization kept records on Feb. 17, 2014, marked as a record of the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust.
Charge 2: Trump allegedly made a false entry in the general ledger of the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, invoice number 842457, on Feb. 14, 2017, which was among the Trump Organization’s kept records.
Charge 3: Trump allegedly caused a false entry in the general ledger of the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust with invoice number 842460 on Feb. 14, 2017, which was among the Trump Organization’s records.
Charge 4: Trump allegedly created a false record in the business records of the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust with a check and check stub bearing the number 000138, dated Feb. 14, 2017, which was among the records kept by the Trump Organization.
Charge 5: Trump allegedly caused a false invoice from Michael Cohen in the Trump Organization kept records, dated Feb. 16, 2017, and transmitted on March 16, 2017, marked as a record of the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust.
Charge 6: Trump allegedly caused a false entry in the general ledger of the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust with invoice number 846907 on March 17, 2017, which was among the Trump Organization kept records.
Charge 7: Trump allegedly created a false record in the business records of the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust with a check and check stub bearing the number 000147, dated March 17, 2017, which was among the records kept by the Trump Organization.
Charge 8: Trump allegedly caused a false invoice from Michael Cohen in the Trump Organization’s kept records, dated April 13, 2017, and marked as a record of Donald J. Trump.
Charge 9: Trump allegedly caused a false entry in the general ledger for Donald J. Trump with invoice number 858770 on June 19, 2017, which was among the Trump Organization’s records.
Charge 8: Trump allegedly caused a false invoice from Michael Cohen in the Trump Organization’s kept records, dated April 13, 2017, and marked as a record of Donald J. Trump.
Charge 9: Trump allegedly caused a false entry in the general ledger for Donald J. Trump with invoice number 858770 on June 19, 2017, which was among the Trump Organization’s records.
Charge 12: Trump allegedly caused a false entry with voucher number 855331, which was dated May 22, 2017, into Donald’s general ledger. J. Trump.
Charge 13: Trump allegedly caused a false record with a Donald J. Trump account check and check stub bearing check number 002700, dated May 23, 2017, and was among the kept records of the Trump Organization.
Charge 14: Trump allegedly caused a false invoice from Michael Cohen in the Trump Organization’s kept records, dated June 16, 2017, and marked as a record of Donald J. Trump.
Charge 15: Trump allegedly caused a false entry into the general ledger for Donald J. Trump bearing voucher number 858772, dated June 19, 2017, and among the kept records of the Trump Organization.
Charge 16: Trump allegedly made a false entry with a Donald J. Trump account check and check stub bearing check number 002741, dated June 19, 2017, which was among the Trump Organization’s kept records.
Charge 17: Trump allegedly caused a false invoice from Michael Cohen in the Trump Organization’s kept records, dated July 11, 2017, and marked as a record of Donald J. Trump.
Charge 18: Trump allegedly caused a false entry into the general ledger for Donald J. Trump bearing voucher number 861096, dated July 11, 2017, and among the kept records of the Trump Organization.
Charge 19: Trump allegedly made a false entry with a Donald J. Trump account check and check stub bearing check number 002781 dated July 11, 2017, which was among the Trump Organization’s kept records.
Charge 20: Trump allegedly caused a false invoice from Michael Cohen in the Trump Organization’s kept records, dated Aug. 1, 2017, and marked as a record of Donald J. Trump.
Charge 21: Trump allegedly caused a false entry into the general ledger for Donald J. Trump bearing voucher number 863641, dated Aug. 1, 2017, and among the kept records of the Trump Organization.
Charge 22: Trump allegedly made a false entry with a Donald J. Trump account check and check stub bearing check number 002821, dated Aug. 1, 2017, among the records kept by the Trump Organization.
Charge 23: Trump allegedly caused a false invoice from Michael Cohen in the Trump Organization’s kept records, dated Sept. 11, 2017, and marked as a record of Donald J. Trump.
Charge 24: Trump allegedly caused a false entry into the general ledger for Donald J. Trump bearing voucher number 868174, dated Sept. 11, 2017, and among the kept records of the Trump Organization.
Charge 25: Trump allegedly caused a false entry with a Donald J. Trump account check and check stub bearing check number 002908, dated Sept. 12, 2017, that was among the kept records of the Trump Organization.
Charge 26: Trump allegedly caused a false invoice from Michael Cohen in the Trump Organization’s kept records dated Oct. 18, 2017, which was marked as a record of Donald J. Trump.
Charge 27: Trump allegedly caused a false entry into the general ledger for Donald J. Trump bearing voucher number 872654, dated Oct 18, 2017, and was among the kept records of the Trump Organization.
Charge 28: Trump allegedly made a false entry with a Donald J. Trump account check and check stub bearing check number 002944, dated Oct 18, 2017, which was among the Trump Organization’s kept records.
Charge 29: Trump allegedly caused a false invoice from Michael Cohen in the Trump Organization’s kept records, dated Nov. 20, 2017, and marked as a record of Donald J. Trump.
Charge 30: Trump allegedly caused a false entry into the general ledger for Donald J. Trump bearing voucher number 876511, dated November 20, 2017, and was among the kept records of the Trump Organization.
Charge 31: Trump allegedly made a false entry with a Donald J. Trump account check and check stub bearing check number 002980 dated Nov. 21, 2017, which was among the Trump Organization’s kept records.
Charge 32: Trump allegedly caused a false invoice from Michael Cohen in the Trump Organization kept records that was dated Dec. 1, 2017, and which was marked as a record of Donald J. Trump, according to the indictment.
Charge 33: Trump allegedly caused a false entry into the general ledger for Donald J. Trump bearing voucher number 877785 that was dated Dec. 1, 2017, and was among the kept records of the Trump Organization.
[…] Donald Trump has made a historic return to the White House, becoming the 47th President of the United States. This marks an unprecedented comeback, as he is only the second president in U.S. history to win a non-consecutive second term, following Grover Cleveland in 1892, and is the only President in history to be a convicted felon. […]