New York, May 31 (IANS) Former US President Donald Trump has been convicted on criminal charges relating to hush money paid to buy the silence of a porn star alleged that she had a sexual tryst with him.
The jury of 12 ordinary citizens on Thursday found him guilty of all 34 charges in the case after two days of deliberations.
Most of the charges are repetitive and are basically that he falsified his business records by showing the payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels as legal expenses for his lawyer, Michael Cohen, who became the prosecution’s star witness.
Outside the court, a crowd of his opponents sent out loud cheers as the verdict trickled out.
This is the first time that a former President faced a criminal case and was convicted.
The verdict comes in the middle of the presidential campaign and has the potential to sway it.
The conviction will not disqualify from running for President and being elected, under US law.
Exiting the court, a stone-faced Trump said the real verdict will be in November when the country goes to the polls.
He called the trial “rigged and disgraceful” and said Judge Juan Merchan was “corrupt”.
Merchan set the sentencing for July 11, just four days before the Republican Party Convention that is expected to formally declare him the candidate for President.
He faces a range of sentences, that could be a probation or fine, or be as much as four years in prison.
Trump will almost certainly appeal the verdict.
–IANS
arul/khz
