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Donald Trump, the former one-term, twice-impeached president of the United States, has been found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the Stormy Daniels hush money case.
The verdict was announced on Wednesday, May 30, 2024, marking a historic and unprecedented moment as Trump becomes the first former president and GOP nominee in American history to face a felony conviction.
The jury, composed of seven men and five women, deliberated for over 11 hours across two days after receiving instructions on the law and their duties from Judge Juan Merchan. They were tasked with determining whether Trump attempted to conceal a hush money payment made to Daniels following an alleged sexual encounter before the 2016 election. According to CNN, Judge Merchan explained that falsifying business records involves acting with “the intent to defraud” and either having “the intent to commit another crime or conceal the commission of one.”
Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges, maintaining that the trial is a “Joe Biden witch hunt,” despite the charges originating from the state of New York. This conviction adds to Trump’s legal woes, as he is also facing three other criminal cases.
This story is developing.