In a historic decision, a Manhattan jury convicted Donald Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying company records, making him the first former US president to face felony charges. This unique outcome also marks the first time a major-party presidential nominee has been convicted of a crime while running for president. If Donald Trump is elected president in November, he will become the first convicted felon to hold the office. The ruling was made after the jury deliberated for more than 12 hours over two days.
While the legal decision does not exclude Trump from seeking reelection, voters will ultimately determine the significance of the 12-person jury's guilty verdict. Trump reacted to the verdict by calling the trial "rigged" and "disgraceful," promising to keep fighting and claiming innocence. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, filed the charges against Trump last year, accusing him of forging records to conceal a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep her from speaking out about an alleged affair prior to the 2016 election.
The seven-week trial had 20 witnesses who testified about a pattern of payoffs intended to keep negative information about Trump out of the public spotlight before to the election. Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, was a critical witness, explaining how Trump ordered the payment and approved the repayment arrangement.
