On Thursday (local time), former U.S. President Donald Trump was convicted in a criminal trial related to what has been termed a 'sexual scandal silence' case. The charges involved the falsification of company documents and the payment of hush money to conceal a sexual scandal before the 2016 presidential election. Trump, who faced criminal indictment on this charge in March of last year, became the first former or current U.S. president to be found guilty in such a trial.
Nevertheless, he vehemently protested, declaring, "I am innocent, and the true verdict will be rendered by the presidential election on November 5." The eligibility criteria for running in the U.S. presidential election stipulate that candidates must be citizens over 35 years of age and residents of the U.S. for at least 14 years.
On this day, the jury in the 'Sexual Suppression' case at a Manhattan court in New York rendered a verdict of guilty on all 34 charges against him. Prosecutors argued that former President Trump paid $130,000 in hush money through his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, to conceal his sexual relationship with adult actress Stormy Daniels and alleged that the funds were falsely categorized as legal consulting fees for his family's Trump Organization.
The jury sided unanimously with the prosecution. Initially anticipated to extend over several days, the trial concluded swiftly with a unanimous verdict reached in just 10 hours. Each of the 34 charges pertains to the falsification of checks and invoices, collectively representing a tally of forged documents. Under New York State law, falsifying business records to conceal another offense constitutes a felony.
His presidential rival, President Joe Biden, embraced the verdict, affirming, "It demonstrates that no one is above the law." The sentencing is scheduled for July 11, just four days before the commencement of the Republican National Convention (July 15-18), during which he is slated to be formally nominated as the Republican presidential candidate.
Hyoun-Soo Kim kimhs@donga.com