NEW YORK, May 30 - Donald Trump became the first U.S. president to be convicted of a crime on Thursday when a New York jury found him guilty of falsifying documents to cover up a payment to silence a porn star ahead of the 2016 election.
The jury notified the court they had reached a verdict at 4:20 p.m. and read out all 34 guilty counts shortly after 5 p.m. Cohen testified he handled the payment, and that Trump approved a plan to reimburse him through monthly payments disguised as legal work. Trump's lawyers hammered Cohen's credibility, highlighting his criminal record and imprisonment and his history of lying.
This case was also likely to be the only one to go to trial before the election, as the others are delayed by procedural challenges.