Donald Trump Convicted: Impact on 2024 Presidential Bid
Donald Trump became the first American president to be convicted by a court in New York on Thursday.
He was found guilty of falsifying documents to conceal a payment to a porn star prior to the 2016 elections. After two days of deliberations, the 12 jurors reached a verdict on the 34 charges brought against him. Unanimity was required for any verdict, writes Reuters. Trump faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison, although others convicted of the same offence often receive lighter punishments, fines, or probation.
The former American president was found guilty of falsifying business documents to hide a payment intended to buy the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels, who claims she had sexual relations with Donald Trump in 2006, when he was already married to his current wife, Melania. Trump denies the accusations.
"The real verdict will be given by the people on November 5. This was a rigged decision from the start. I did nothing wrong, I am completely innocent. We will continue to fight. We will fight until the end and we will win," said Trump following the jurors' decision.
Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, testified that Trump approved a payment of $130,000 to Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 election when he faced multiple accusations of inappropriate sexual behaviour. Cohen stated that he arranged the payment, and Trump agreed to a reimbursement plan through monthly payments disguised as legal fees. Trump's lawyers challenged Cohen's credibility, citing his criminal record and history of lying.
Donald Trump's lawyer, Todd Blanche, asked Judge Juan Merchan to overturn the verdict, arguing that it was based on the unreliable testimony of Michael Cohen. Merchan quickly denied the request.
Falsifying business documents, usually considered a misdemeanour in New York, was reclassified as a felony by prosecutors in the Manhattan District Attorney's office, led by Alvin Bragg, on the grounds that Donald Trump had concealed an illegal campaign contribution.
Trump complained that he cannot have a fair trial in his hometown, which is dominated by Democrats.
This case is considered the least important among the four criminal prosecutions initiated against Trump.
The verdict throws the United States into uncharted territory ahead of the November 5 presidential election, when Trump, the Republican candidate, will try to regain the White House from Democratic President Joe Biden.
First Reactions: No One is Above the Law
Shortly after the decision was announced, President Joe Biden stated that the only way to defeat his Republican rival, Donald Trump, is at the polls.
"Donald Trump has always erroneously believed that he would never face consequences for breaking the law for his own personal gain. But today's verdict does not change the fact that the American people face a simple reality. Whether convicted or not, Trump will be the Republican candidate for president," wrote White House spokesperson, Michael Tyler.
"The threat that Trump represents to our democracy has never been greater. A second Trump term means chaos, and the erosion of American freedoms – and the American people will reject him in November," wrote Tyler.
Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, called the guilty verdict against former President Donald Trump "a shameful day in American history."
Johnson described the trial as "a purely political exercise, not a legal one."
How Will the Verdict Affect the 2024 Elections?
Opinion polls, cited by Reuters, show that a guilty verdict could pose a significant political danger for Donald Trump.
One in four Republicans stated they would not vote for Trump if he is found guilty in a criminal trial, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in April among registered voters. In the same poll, 60% of independents said they would not vote for Trump if he is convicted of a crime.
"Pronounced six months before the presidential election in which Trump is the presumptive Republican candidate, the verdict will test voters' willingness to elect, for the first time, a candidate with a criminal record related to hush money payments to a porn star," comments the Associated Press.
If elected, Trump could close the two federal cases accusing him of illegally trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat and mishandling classified documents after leaving office in 2021. However, he would not have the power to stop a separate electoral subversion case in Georgia.
Trump has pleaded not guilty in all cases and has portrayed the legal issues as an effort by Biden's Democratic allies to affect him politically.
Euronews specifies that the official verdict will be announced on July 11 and can be appealed.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
