on May 30, 2024, a New York jury found former President Donald Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. The charges stemmed from a 2017 scheme to conceal a $130,000 payment made to adult film star Stormy daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign as reported by the New York Times. The payment was allegedly intended to silence Daniels about an alleged affair.
The prosecution, led by Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg, argued that Trump falsified business records to cover up the true nature of the payments to Daniels. These records were allegedly disguised as legal expenses. NBC news provided live updates throughout the trial. Key evidence included testimony from Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, who facilitated the payment to Daniels and testified that Trump directed him to do so.
The defense, led by Todd Blanche, argued that the payments were legitimate legal expenses and that cohen was an unreliable witness. They attempted to discredit Cohen's testimony by highlighting his past lies and criminal history. Reuters provided a summary of the key takeaways from the trial.