Donald Trump has been convicted by a jury of falsifying business records to cover up hush money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg brought 34 counts against Trump for concealing a $130,000 payment made by his former lawyer Michael Cohen to Daniels in exchange for her silence about a past encounter with Trump. This payment was part of a broader scheme to suppress negative news stories about Trump before the election.
Trump denied the alleged sexual relationships with Daniels and Karen McDougal. Prosecutors accused Trump of violating New York state law by disguising reimbursement checks to Cohen as legal retainer fees in Trump Organization records. Each count was based on a payment to Cohen. Trump’s defense argued that Cohen acted independently and the payments were for personal reasons, not campaign activities.
Despite Trump’s denial of wrongdoing, the jury found him guilty and the case highlighted the legality of such payments in political campaigns.