Historic Verdict Exclusive: Trump Found Guilty of all 34 Felonies Charged

Today, May 30, 2024, a historic verdict was handed down by the Judge Juan Merchan. Former President Trump was convicted of all 34 charges of falsifying business records. He is the first American former president to be convicted of a felony.

Trump made history in other ways. He is also the first major party presidential nominee to be convicted of a crime amid a presidential campaign.

Trump’s Reaction to the Historic Verdict

Trump maintains his innocence despite the historic guilty verdict.

“This was a rigged, disgraceful trial. The real verdict is going to be November 5 by the people, and they know what happened here, and everyone knows what happened here. We didn’t do wrong. I’m a very innocent man,” Trump said when he left the courtroom.

He also promised to continue fighting for his innocence.

The Sequence of Events Leading to the Historic Verdict

The case began last year when Manhattan District Attorney and Democrat Alvin Bragg announced charges against Trump. This event would mark the first indictment of a former president.

Bragg accused Trump of falsifying financial records. Specifically, he called out a $130,000 payment Trump made to former lawyer Michael Cohen. The payment was a cover-up for money he paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels to prevent her from speaking out about their alleged affair before the 2016 election.

The trial lasted seven weeks. Twenty witnesses were called in to testify. Many recalled other payoffs Trump made to keep unsavory stories out of the news.

Cohen was the key witness in the case. He describes how the president asked him to pay Daniels the $130,000, an amount that would be repaid to him in $35,000 installments. The repayments included additional reimbursement to cover the taxes Cohen would have to pay.

The case was deliberated by 12 jurors for 12 hours over two days. The historic verdict was finally handed down. Sentencing will take place on July 11, 2024, just days before the Republican National Convention begins in Milwaukee.

Reaction to Trump’s Verdict

The historic verdict sent shockwaves through the political world. Biden posted on X reminding voters that Trump’s guilty sentence did not make Biden a shoo-in for president.

“There’s only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box,” the president posted on X.

He also said the verdict proved that “no one is above the law”.

Biden’s 2024 campaign communications director, Michael Tyler, also spoke out about the election. “The threat Trump poses to our democracy has never been greater. A second Trump term means chaos, ripping away Americans’ freedoms and fomenting political violence- and the American people will reject it this November,” he said.

Trump’s campaign is using the verdict to its advantage. They are redoubling fundraising efforts. Biden warned that Trump is likely to set fundraising records following the historic verdict.

“That’s money (Trump) will use to try to get back into the White House to carry out his threats of revenge and retribution against his political opponents,” Biden said.

 Meanwhile, Trump and his supporters are calling the case a “political witch hunt trial”.

Republican House Speaker Michael Johnson spoke out on Trump’s behalf. “today is a shameful day in American history,” he posted on X. He also called the case “a purely political exercise, not a legal one.”

Trump reportedly left the courtroom in “good spirits and ready to fight”. He is set to speak at Trump Tower tomorrow at 11 AM ET. He announced the appearance while enforcing his campaign slogan, “MAGA2024!”