New York, May 31, (dpa/GNA) – Minutes after Donald Trump was found guilty of falsifying business records in his hush money trial, the former US president’s campaign team asked supporters for donations, declaring Trump a “political prisoner.”
“I was just convicted in a RIGGED political witch-hunt trial: I DID NOTHING WRONG!,” the Republican’s donation website quoted Trump as saying shortly after the verdict was read in court, without providing any evidence to back up those claims.
“I know with you by my side, we will win back the White House and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
A jury in New York on Thursday found Trump guilty of falsifying business records in a trial over the concealment of hush money payments in the run-up to the 2016 election, making him the first former US president convicted of a criminal offence.
Trump, who is seeking the White House again in this November’s election, was charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records as part of a scheme involving his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen to conceal a $130,000 pay-off made to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Judge Juan Merchan is set to announce Trump’s sentence on July 11. The former president faces a maximum of several years behind bars, but most legal experts expect he will get a fine.
Trump, 77, is expected to run against US President Joe Biden, 81, in the presidential election in November.
Following the New York verdict, Biden’s campaign team urged their supporters to donate generously to the Democrats, warning that Trump is expected to collect record donations and use the funds for his election campaign.
GNA