What was Trump convicted of? Details on the 34 counts and his guilty verdict

Former president Donald Trump’s conviction in New York originated from a Payment of US$130,000 in hush money his lawyer Michael Cohen did to adult film star Stormy Daniels days before the 2016 election.

Prosecutors said the deal was intended to keep voters in the dark about Daniels’ claim that she had sex with Trump years earlier, which he denies. But the actual charges Trump faced were much less salacious and dealt with the comparatively mundane paperwork that was generated when he reimbursed Cohen for the payment.

Here’s what you should know about the charges Trump faced:

What was Trump convicted of?

Trump was charged with 34 counts of first-degree falsifying business records, which is a felony in New York. He pleaded not guilty when he was indicted last year.

In 2017, Cohen and Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg reached an agreement on how Cohen would be reimbursed for the $130,000 he sent Daniels in exchange for his silence. Weisselberg detailed the calculations in handwritten notes which were shown to the jury at trial.

Cohen would receive $130,000 for Daniels’ payment, plus $50,000 going to a technology company that did unrelated work for Trump. This amount was doubled to account for the taxes Cohen would have to pay on the income. Weisselberg then added an extra $60,000 as a bonus for Cohen, who was upset that his regular year-end bonus had been cut. The total was US$420 thousand.

Cohen would be paid in a series of $35,000 monthly payments throughout 2017. The first check was for $70,000, covering two months. Cohen sent an invoice to the Trump Organization for each check, portraying the payment as his “seller.” The accountants then generated a record in the company’s books, known as a voucher, every time it was paid, with the description “legal expense”. The first three payments were made from Trump’s trust fund, while the remaining nine came from his personal account.

Each of the 34 charges against Trump corresponded to a check, invoice and voucher generated to reimburse Cohen. The prosecution laid out the charges in a graphic that jurors saw several times during the trial:

Prosecutors said Trump knew the payments were to reimburse Cohen for paying Daniels, not his legal expenses.

The jury voted to convict him on all 34 counts. As Trump sat in court Thursday afternoon, the clerk asked the jury foreman for the verdict on each count.

“How do you feel about the first count of the indictment, charging Donald J. Trump with the crime of falsifying business records in the first degree, guilty or not guilty?” the clerk asked.

“Guilty,” replied the foreman, repeating the answer 33 more times.

Why were the charges considered a crime?

Under New York law, falsifying business records is a crime when the records are altered with the intent to defraud. To be charged with a crime, prosecutors must also demonstrate that the offender intended to “commit another crime” or “aid or conceal” another crime by falsifying records.

In Trump’s case, prosecutors said another crime was a violation of a New York election law that makes it illegal for “two or more persons” to “conspire to promote or impede the election of any person to public office by unlawful means.” . ” as judge Juan Merchan explained in his instructions to the jury.

What exactly those “illegal means” were in this case was for the jury to decide. Prosecutors laid out three areas they could consider: a violation of federal campaign finance laws, falsification of other business records or a violation of tax laws.

Jurors did not have to agree on what the underlying “illegal means” were. But they had to unanimously conclude that Trump caused the falsification of business records and that he “did so with the intent to defraud, which included the intent to commit another crime or to aid or conceal the commission of the same.”

What was Trump’s defense?

Trump’s lawyers argued that the payments to Cohen were for his work as Trump’s lawyer, not reimbursements for Daniels’ payment.

The defense argued that the descriptions in the invoices and records were accurate — Cohen held the title “personal lawyer to the president” when Trump took office and was being paid for his legal services under an unwritten retainer agreement. Therefore, their argument went, no business records were falsified.

They also focused much of their firepower on portraying Cohen as a liar, with the aim of discrediting his testimony. Cohen was the only witness who testified that Trump knew the true purpose of the refunds, a crucial pillar of prosecutors’ effort to show Trump’s intent.

Ultimately, jurors rejected the defense’s arguments and sided with prosecutors in finding Trump guilty.

When will Trump be convicted?

Shortly after the verdict was handed down, Merchan, the judge, set Trump’s sentencing date for July 11, just days before the start of the Republican National Convention.

Under New York law, each count of falsifying business records in the first degree carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison and a $5,000 fine. But Merchan has wide discretion when it comes to imposing a sentence. Most legal observers wait he would punish Trump with little or no time behind bars, based on factors such as Trump’s status as a first-time offender and his age. Instead, Merchan could count on options like probation, home confinement or just a fine.

Trump has vowed to appeal the verdict and any sentencing could be delayed until the proceedings are complete.