Donald Trump facing jail after guilty verdict
Former US president Donald Trump is facing the possibility of jail time after being found guilty on all 34 counts of a hush money trial in New York.
Trump was found to be unanimously guilty by the jury on Thursday afternoon, making him the first former US President with a criminal conviction.
In the New York courtroom, he was accused of 34 counts of fraud by falsifying business records to cover up payments of $200,000 ($US130,000) to adult star Stormy Daniels.
It was reported that Mr Trump wanted to buy her silence about an alleged extramarital sexual encounter which was in danger of becoming public knowledge in the run up to the 2016 US Presidential election.
While paying hush money to cover up a potentially damning story isn't illegal, Trump's falsifying of business records to bury the payments is a criminal offence in the state of New York.
Mr Trump, 77, denied a sexual encounter with Ms Daniels took place and denied all the charges.
After the guilty verdict was handed down, Trump spoke to reporters outside the courtroom, saying the trial was “rigged” and a “disgrace”.
“This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who is corrupt,” he said.
“The real verdict is going to be November 5 by the people and they know what happened here and everybody knows what happened here.”
He insisted “we didn’t do anything wrong”.
“I’m a very innocent man and it’s OK, I’m fighting for our country, I’m fighting for our Constitution,” he said.
A sentencing hearing has been set for July 11th, just four days before the Republican National Convention, when the party will officially nominate him for President ahead of the election in November.
He faces a minimum of probation and a maximum of up to four years in prison.
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