Trump could serve entire presidential term from a jail cell. Found guilty on all counts

Donald Trump has been found guilty on all counts at his hush money trial, becoming the first criminally convicted US president in history.

He sat emotionless as the jury convicted him on 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in the run-up to the 2016 election. Ms Daniels says that they had a sexual encounter in 2006, which Trump denies.

The jury delivered the verdict late on Thursday afternoon after deliberating for almost two days at the Manhattan court.

The ‘hush money’ case – up to 20 years 

The 34 charges were “stepped up” from misdemeanors to class E felonies for the trial because prosecutors alleged the crimes were carried out in an effort to commit or conceal another crime.

Each of the 34 counts carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison, however, New York imposes a 20-year sentencing cap for this type of offense.

The classified documents case – up to 450 years

In one of two federal criminal cases, Trump is charged with willfully retaining secrets and obstructing justice over his alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving the White House.

In August 2022, the FBI raided Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida, and found boxes of classified documents that he should have returned to the National Archives.

In that case, the former president faces a maximum of 10 years in prison per count of willfully retaining secrets and 20 years per count of obstructing justice.

While the latter offense comes with a higher maximum sentence, it is the former that should have Trump more worried. Convictions of willful and/or reckless retention of classified information frequently result in prison sentences of several years or more. Trump faces more than 30 of those charges.

The trial was provisionally set for 20 May, although Judge Aileen subsequently suspended it indefinitely and pretrial hearings relating to it continue to be dominated by baffling orders and courtroom spats.

The federal election interference case – up to 55 years

The Justice Department’s second case against Trump accuses him of efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in his favor.

In this case, he faces charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy against Americans’ right to vote in free elections, and attempting to block the certification of the election results by summoning a mob to attack the US Capitol on 6 January 2021.

News Agencies