In a historic verdict, a Manhattan jury has found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records, making him the first former US president to be convicted of a felony.
This unprecedented outcome also marks the first time a major-party presidential nominee has been found guilty of a crime while running for the White House.
If Donald Trump wins the presidency in November, he will become the first sitting president in US history to be a convicted felon.
The verdict was announced after nearly 12 hours of deliberation by the jury over two days.
While the legal outcome does not prevent Trump from seeking reelection, it will ultimately Donald be up to voters to decide the significance of the guilty verdict delivered by the 12-person jury.
Trump responded to the verdict by calling the trial “rigged” and “disgraceful,” vowing to continue fighting and claiming innocence.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, brought the charges against Trump last year, accusing him of falsifying records to cover up a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep her from speaking out about an alleged affair before the 2016 election.
The seven-week trial featured 20 witnesses testifying about a pattern of payoffs to keep negative stories about Trump out of view before the election.
Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, was a key witness, describing how Trump directed him to make the payment and approved the scheme to repay him.
Judge Juan Merchan set Donald Trump’s sentencing date for July 11, 2024, just before the Republican National Convention.
President Joe Biden’s campaign responded to the verdict by emphasizing the importance of defeating Trump at the ballot box, stressing that “no one is above the law.”
Donald Trump’s campaign also fundraised off the verdict, casting it as a “political Witch Hunt trial.”
