'Honest Don:' Really Smart, Very Stable Genius Has Become the First U.S. President Convicted of a Felony

Guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records

May 30, 2024

Uh, Oh, Donald: a.k.a., 'Honest Don.' Really Smart, very stable genius, has become the first former or sitting U.S. president to be convicted of a felony.

In a historic decision, a 12-person Manhattan jury found the former president guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records to disguise a hush money payment made to adult film actress (porn star ‘ashawo’) Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.

READ: Bill Barr, Attorney General during the Trump administration in a CBS interview with Robert Costa on Sunday, June 18, 2023, unload on his former boss: ‘…He’s like a 9-year-old — a defiant 9-year-old kid who’s always pushing the glass toward the edge of the table, defying his parents to stop him from doing it.’

The jury's verdict sheet: The complete verdict sheet filled out by the jury, indicating the verdicts on each of the 34 felony counts against Trump.

READ: Mug Shots in Trump's Georgia Case

Sentencing is July 11 at 10 a.m. ET. The judge will then decide whether the former president’s punishment will include prison time, fines, probation, or a combination of those.

Cohen's testimony about paying adult film actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 to buy her silence about an alleged extramarital affair with Trump was at the center of the prosecution's case.

Michael Cohen, Trump's former attorney turned key trial witness in the case against him, responded to the jury's guilty verdict.

“Today is an important day for accountability and the rule of law. While it has been a difficult journey for me and my family, the truth always matters.”

— Michael Cohen

By Theo Edwards for YAME

This is a developing story. Please refresh here for updates.

UPDATE: Friday, May 31, 2024 at 4:30 PM EDT

“Biden Declares Trump Verdict a Victory for the Rule of Law.”

— WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden

The American principle that no one is above the law was reaffirmed,” Biden said in a televised statement from the White House.

He emphasized that it was a state case, not a federal case brought by his administration and that Trump had every chance to defend himself.

“It was heard by a jury of 12 citizens, 12 Americans, 12 people like you, like millions of Americans who’ve served on juries,” he said of the case. “This jury was chosen the same way every jury in America is chosen. There’s a process that Donald Trump’s attorney was part of. The jury heard five weeks of evidence, five weeks. After careful deliberation, the jury reached a unanimous verdict. They found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts.”

“It’s reckless, it’s dangerous, it’s irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict,” Biden said. “Our justice system has endured for nearly 250 years, and it literally is the cornerstone of America. Our justice system, the justice system, should be respected, and we should never allow anyone to tear it down. As simple as that. That’s America. That’s who we are.”

The president’s decision to directly address the trial's outcome was a major strategic shift.

'Reckless' for Trump to call Hush-money trial rigged: Joe Biden