Trump Found Guilty on 34 Felony Counts in Hush Money Trial

The Trial

After a six-week trial in Manhattan Criminal Court, a jury of 12 New Yorkers found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. The charges stemmed from a scheme to conceal a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.

The Scheme

Prosecutors demonstrated that Trump orchestrated a plan through his former lawyer Michael Cohen to pay Daniels for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter. The payments were then disguised as legal expenses in Trump Organization records. The prosecution argued this was done to influence the 2016 election by burying a story that could have derailed his candidacy.

Historic Verdict

The conviction made Trump the first former or sitting U.S. president to be found guilty of a crime. Trump denounced the verdict as politically motivated, while legal experts noted the straightforward nature of the evidence: a paper trail of checks, invoices, and ledger entries.

Despite the conviction, Trump continued his 2024 presidential campaign. He was later sentenced to an unconditional discharge — no jail time, no probation, no fine — a disposition that itself generated significant controversy.