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Edited by: Fern Sidman
In a groundbreaking legal milestone, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has achieved what no other prosecutor in American history has done: securing a conviction against a former U.S. president. According to a report in The New York Post, on Thursday, Bragg expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of the case against Donald J. Trump, who was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Trump has been convicted of falsifying company documents, a case stemming from allegations that he orchestrated a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. This payment, facilitated by Trump’s former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, aimed to silence Daniels’ claims of an affair with Trump during the crucial lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, according to the Post report.
The prosecution, led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, represents a significant escalation in the legal scrutiny surrounding Trump and his business dealings.
‘The defendant, Donald J Trump is guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a scheme to corrupt the 2016 election’
DA Alvin Bragg makes a statement on the conviction of Donald Trump, calling the former President a defendant ‘like no other in history’. pic.twitter.com/DE8Ofz5fze
— GB News (@GBNEWS) May 30, 2024
Standing alongside his dedicated team, Bragg emphasized the significance of the jury’s verdict and underscored the integrity and thoroughness of the judicial process. “Donald J. Trump has been convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records,” Bragg announced, his tone resolute and his stance firm, The Post report observed. He took a moment to acknowledge the hard work and diligence of the jurors, describing them as “12 everyday New Yorkers” who were “careful and attentive” throughout the trial.
“This type of white-collar prosecution is core to what we do at the Manhattan District Attorney’s office,” Bragg stated, at the press conference on Thursday. The Post report indicated that he took pride in the thorough investigation and prosecution that led to the conviction, reflecting on the importance of adherence to the facts and the law.
When pressed about potential sentencing, Bragg remained non-committal regarding whether he would seek jail time for Trump, who faces a maximum of four years in prison for each charge, the Post report said. At the very least, Trump could be placed on probation, a decision that remains pending as the legal proceedings continue.
“I did my job. Our job is to follow the facts and the law without fear or favor and that’s exactly what we did here,” Bragg boasted.
The trial has not been without its controversies, with Trump and his supporters alleging that the prosecution was politically motivated, aimed at derailing his potential 2024 presidential bid. The report in the Post noted that despite these accusations, Bragg maintained a silence on the matter. When asked if he had a response to Trump’s criticisms, Bragg succinctly replied, “I do not.”
“While this defendant may be unlike any other in American history, we arrived at this trial and ultimately this verdict in the same manner as every other case that comes through the courtroom doors — by following the facts, and the law, and doing so without fear or favor,” Bragg asserted.
In April 2023, Bragg made headlines by bringing forth this unprecedented criminal case against Trump. The case built on investigations initiated by Bragg’s predecessor, Cyrus Vance Jr., and it represented a comprehensive effort to hold Trump accountable for alleged financial misconduct, as per the information contained in The Post report. Michael Cohen, once a loyal ally of Trump, became the prosecution’s star witness, providing crucial testimony about the hush money payment and its cover-up.
The conviction is not Bragg’s first encounter with Trump-related legal issues. In 2022, his office successfully prosecuted the Trump Organization on charges of orchestrating a 15-year tax fraud scheme. As detailed in The Post report, this case revealed how the company’s longtime Chief Financial Officer, Allen Weisselberg, admitted to evading taxes on company perks such as a luxury car and a rent-free apartment. Although Trump was not personally charged in that case, the conviction of his organization set a significant precedent.
Bragg’s investigation into Trump’s business practices extended beyond the hush money payment. He inherited a probe from Vance into whether Trump had misrepresented the values of his real estate properties. Despite internal pressures, Bragg decided not to pursue charges in this particular matter, a decision that stirred controversy within the district attorney’s office, the Post report indicated. This choice illustrated the complex considerations and high stakes involved in prosecuting a former president.
Bragg’s legal battles with Trump date back to his tenure as New York State’s Chief Deputy Attorney General from 2017 to 2018. During this period, Bragg played a pivotal role in the lawsuit that led to the dissolution of the Donald J. Trump Foundation. The information in the Post report said that the foundation, which was found to have engaged in a pattern of illegal conduct, was ordered to pay $2 million in damages. This experience added to Bragg’s understanding of Trump’s business practices and provided a foundation for his later prosecutorial efforts.
The crux of the indictment centered on the accusation that Trump and his associates engaged in a scheme to subvert the truth by misclassifying these hush money payments as legitimate legal expenses. The Post report indicated that the grand jury was presented with evidence suggesting that these payments were, in reality, bribes intended to prevent potentially damaging stories from surfacing and influencing the outcome of the election.
Michael Cohen, who had already been convicted for perjury and other crimes, emerged as the prosecution’s star witness. Despite his tarnished credibility, Cohen’s testimony was pivotal. He confessed to having altered financial records to facilitate the creation of shell companies, which were then used to channel payments to Daniels and others, the Post report said. This manipulation of records, according to the indictment, was part of a broader effort to hide the true nature of the transactions and shield Trump from public scrutiny.
Michael Cohen’s involvement added a layer of complexity to the trial. As Trump’s former personal lawyer and fixer, Cohen had intimate knowledge of the inner workings of Trump’s business and personal dealings. The Post observed that his fall from grace, marked by a conviction for lying to Congress and other charges, had transformed him into a controversial yet crucial figure in the prosecution’s case.
Cohen testified that his previous lies under oath were made to protect Trump, revealing a deep entanglement of personal loyalty and legal misconduct. His admission of creating shell companies to manage the payoff to Daniels was a significant revelation. This not only called attention to the lengths to which Trump’s inner circle allegedly went to conceal the payments but also highlighted Cohen’s direct involvement in the illicit activities.
Legal experts and political analysts weighed in on the implications of the conviction. Some viewed it as a long-overdue accountability measure for a figure who had often seemed impervious to legal repercussions. Others saw it as a politically motivated attack designed to discredit a former president who remained influential within his party.
