May 30 (UPI) — Former President Donald Trump has been found guilty on all 34 counts against him in the New York hush-money trial.
The maximum sentence for felony falsification of business records is four years in prison. Trump will be sentenced on July 11 by Judge Juan Merchan.
After emerging from the courtroom, Trump called the verdict a “disgrace.” He also repeated previous claims that the trial was “rigged.”
“They wouldn’t give us a venue change. We were at 5 or 6% in this district,” Trump complained. “The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people. We didn’t do a thing wrong. I’m a very innocent man.”
Trump’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for four days before the start of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
The defense asked for the jury to be polled after the verdict was announced. Each member of the jury confirmed the decision before being dismissed by the judge.
Merchan received a note from the 12-person jury about 4:20 p.m. ET, informing him that a verdict has been reached. The judge had been prepared to dismiss the jury for the day at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Merchan instructed those in the courtroom, including the former president, not to react when the verdict is read.
“Please, let there be no reactions, no outbursts of any kind,” Merchan said.
Trump was found guilty on 34 charges for falsifying business documents in an attempt to cover up an affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels. He has denied the affair and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Merchan instructed the jury that a guilty verdict requires all 12 jurors to agree that Trump falsified business records with the intent to defraud or commit another crime or to conceal the commission of a crime. This must be determined to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The jury needed to reach a unanimous decision on the charges to deliver their ruling.
At the request of the jury, Merchan repeated his instructions from Wednesday at the start of Thursday’s proceedings. It also heard portions of testimony again, read from transcripts by a court employee.
The jury requested to hear four portions of testimony on Wednesday, including three parts of publisher David Pecker’s testimony. It also wants to hear former Trump attorney and “fixer” Michael Cohen’s testimony about a meeting at Trump Tower related to hush-money payments to Daniels.
Much of the testimony the jury wanted to hear again was related to the possible influence the “catch and kill” scheme with the National Enquirer and Pecker may have had on the 2016 election. Pecker was the first of more than 20 witnesses to testify.
Merchan read instructions related to violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act, detailing to the jury how “unlawful means” are defined.
“It is also unlawful under the Federal Election Campaign Act for any corporation to willfully make a contribution of any amount to a candidate or candidate’s campaign in connection with any federal election, or for any person to cause such a corporate contribution,” Merchan read.
“For purposes of these prohibitions, an expenditure made in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate or his agents shall be considered to be a contribution to such candidate.”
The prosecution argued that the catch and kill scheme was an unlawful contribution to Trump’s campaign.
