*From the New York Times Newsletter at 07.50 am Sydney Time
Trump is found guilty on all counts
Donald Trump has been convicted of all 34 felony counts in a criminal case stemming from a hush-money payment to a porn star on the eve of the 2016 election. He is the first American president to be declared a felon, a stain he will carry as he seeks to regain the presidency.
After hearing the verdict, Trump did not visibly respond, my colleague Jonah Bromwich reported from the courtroom. He slowly stood up as the jurors exited, with a frown on his face. He did not look at the jurors as they left, his eyes downcast.
The 12 New Yorkers who made up the jury heard weeks of tawdry testimony describing tabloid deal-making, a sexual encounter between Trump and the porn star Stormy Daniels, and the $130,000 payoff that kept her silent.
Prosecutors contended that Trump engaged in a fraud against the American people, arguing that he falsified records related to the reimbursement of his onetime fixer, Michael Cohen, who paid her out of his own pocket.
Sentencing was set for July 11, four days before the beginning of the Republican National Convention.
The felony conviction calls for a sentence of up to four years behind bars, but Trump may never see the inside of a prison cell. He could receive probation when he is sentenced, and he is certain to appeal the verdict — meaning it may be years before the case is resolved.
Still, the jury’s decision is an indelible moment in America’s history, concluding the only one of four criminal cases against Trump likely to go to trial before Election Day.
