WWE Hall of Famer Donald Trump is the first former United States president to be convicted of a felony.
Back in March of 2023, a federal grand jury voted to indict former US president Donald Trump after allegations of him falsifying business records.
In 2016, adult star Stormy Daniels went public with claims that she had an affair with Trump back in 2006, the year after he married his wife Melania. Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen then paid the star well over $100,000 for her silence. It should be noted that this isn’t illegal.
However, when Trump reimbursed his lawyer, the payment was recorded as “legal fees.” Prosecutors claim this amounts to falsifying business records, which is a crime in New York.
Jury selection for Trump’s criminal trial began on April 15th, and after more than a month, the jury has found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. CBS reports that the judge presiding over the case thanked the jurors for their time, calling the trial “stressful.”
“That’s a long time to be away from your jobs, your families, your responsibilities, but not only that — you were engaged in a very stressful … task,” he said. “I admire how involved you were, how engaged you were throughout this task.”
The judge also told jurors that they are free to speak about their involvement in the trial, but they can also choose to keep silent if they wish.
“No one can make you do anything that you don’t want to do. The choice is yours.”
Trump is set to be sentenced for his crimes on July 11th.
Can Donald Trump Still Run For President After His Felony Conviction?
Donald Trump is currently expected to become the Republican nominee in the upcoming presidential election race in the United States. Despite the severity of his charges, there is nothing in the United States Constitution that prevents Trump from continuing his goal of becoming president once again.
As reported by CBS, the former president is enraged by the verdict, calling the trial “rigged.” Trump said:
“This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt.”
Continuing, Donald Trump made it clear that he has no plans to abandon the election, stating:
“The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people, and they know what happened here and everybody knows what happened here. We’ll fight to the end.”
Donald Trump isn’t the only one in legal trouble over hush money payments as his longtime friend and former WWE CEO Vince McMahon is currently under federal investigation.