Hush-money trial
Historic verdict: Trump found guilty!
The jury in the hush money trial has found former US President Donald Trump guilty on all charges. A unique event in US history.
The prosecution had accused Trump of wanting to improve his chances of success in the 2016 presidential election by paying 130,000 dollars in hush money to porn actress Stormy Daniels and then unlawfully accounting for the cash flow.
Although the payment itself - which was not disputed by either side - was not illegal, according to the jury, the now 77-year-old manipulated documents when reimbursing the amount to his then personal lawyer Michael Cohen in order to conceal the true reason for the transaction.
This made him guilty of 34 counts of illegal campaign financing. Trump's lawyers had argued that these were ordinary legal fees.
What is Trump facing now?
Trump faces an - albeit unlikely - prison sentence of several years, which could also be suspended, or a fine. Judge Juan Merchan will determine the sentence on July 11. The Republican can appeal - and even in the event of a final conviction, run in the presidential election in November.
Since mid-April, the seven men and five women on the jury have heard the testimony of more than 20 witnesses in the trial - the jury's deliberations have been ongoing since Wednesday.
"This is far from over!"
In an initial reaction, Trump described the verdict as a "disgrace". He accused the judge of being corrupt and "directed" by Joe Biden. The "real verdict" would follow in the US election in November. He ended his statement with: "This is far from over!"
His lawyer announced that he would appeal "as soon as possible", i.e. after the sentence was announced.
Historic verdict
This is the first time in American history that an ex-president has been convicted of a criminal offense. The trial took place amid unprecedented media interest and tight security in downtown Manhattan. US media covered the event in Manhattan like a major sporting event and quoted every minute from the courtroom, where no TV recordings were allowed.
The verdict is also likely to have an impact on the current election campaign in the United States - but the question is: to what extent and to whose advantage? Trump is trying to turn the case into a personal advantage and mobilize his supporters by staging himself as the victim of a politically motivated justice system. However, many voters are likely to see the first criminal conviction of a former US president as a disgrace.
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
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