Donald Trump has become the first former US president to be convicted of felony crimes as a New York jury found him guilty of falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through hush money payments to an adult film actress who said the two had sex.
Newsonspot reports that Jurors convicted Trump on all 34 counts after deliberating for nine-and-a-half hours.
As the verdict was read, he sat stone-faced in court, looking down.
The verdict is a stunning legal reckoning for Trump and exposes him to potential prison time in the city where his manipulations of the tabloid press helped catapult him from a real estate tycoon to reality television star and ultimately president.
As he seeks a return to the White House in this year’s election, the judgment presents voters with another test of their willingness to accept Trump’s boundary-breaking behaviour.
Trump is expected to quickly appeal against the verdict and will face an awkward dynamic as he seeks to return to the campaign trail as a convicted felon.
There are no campaign rallies on the calendar for now, though he is expected to hold fundraisers next week.
It is likely to take several months for Judge Juan Merchan, who oversaw the case, to decide whether to sentence Trump to prison.
The falsifying business records charges carry up to four years behind bars, though prosecutors have not said whether they intend to seek imprisonment, and it is not clear whether the judge – who earlier in the trial warned of jail time for gag order violations – would impose that punishment even if asked.
The conviction, and even imprisonment, will not bar Trump from continuing his pursuit of the White House.
Trump faces three other felony indictments, but the New York case may be the only one to reach a conclusion before the November election, adding to the significance of the outcome.
