Trump guilty on 34 counts; Historic decision shakes presidential campaign

This Thursday, a New York jury found former American President Donald Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying accounting documents, related to hidden payments to former porn actress Stormy Daniels. This historic decision marks the first criminal conviction of a former president of the United States, significantly impacting Trump’s electoral race just five months before the presidential election.

After a five-week trial and more than 11 hours of deliberations, the jury of seven men and five women, whose identities were kept confidential, reached a guilty verdict. During the trial, jurors revisited crucial testimony, including that of David Pecker, a former tabloid director close to Trump, and Michael Cohen, a former personal lawyer and key prosecution witness.

Michael Cohen, who participated in a meeting with Trump in 2015 where a plan to avoid scandals was devised, declared that this was “an important day for accountability and the rule of law”. Trump, on the other hand, called the verdict a “disgrace” and a “rigged process,” indicating that he intends to appeal the decision, which could prolong the process for months.

The judge’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where Trump is expected to receive the party’s formal nomination to face Democratic President Joe Biden in November.

‘Common sense’

Trump’s verdict was met with a mix of reactions. Biden’s campaign stated that the decision shows that “no one is above the law”, while the White House declared that it respects the “rule of law”. However, analyst Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, highlighted Reuters that conviction can significantly influence female voters, which is crucial in a close election.

Trump was convicted of falsifying accounting records to reimburse Cohen for paying $130,000 to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election, with the aim of avoiding a sex scandal. Despite the possibility of facing up to four years in prison for each charge, experts believe that, as he has no criminal record, it is unlikely that he will go to prison.

Even with the conviction, polls indicate that Trump is tied with Biden, and the verdict could further inflame passions as the presidential race intensifies. If he is elected, Trump will not be able to pardon himself, since the case falls under state jurisdiction, where only the governor of New York would have this power.

In addition to this case, Trump faces other charges in Washington and Georgia for conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 elections, in addition to being accused in Florida of taking classified documents to his residence after leaving the White House.

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with agency information