Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg hails guilty verdict in Trump hush money trial
MANHATTAN, New York (WABC) -- Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg thanked the jurors in a news conference Thursday after Donald Trump was found guilty in his hush money criminal trial in New York.
"We should all be thankful for the careful attention that this jury paid to the evidence and the law, and their time and commitment over these past several weeks," Bragg said.
Trump became the first former American president to be convicted of felony crimes Thursday as a New York jury found him guilty of all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex.
"Twelve everyday New Yorkers, and of course our alternates, heard testimony from 22 witnesses, including former and current employees of the defendant, media executives, book publishers, custodians of records and others," Bragg said. "They reviewed call logs, text messages and emails. They heard recordings. They saw checks and invoices, bank statements and calendar appointments."
Bragg added, "Their deliberations led them to a unanimous conclusion beyond a reasonable doubt."
WATCH | Reaction inside the courtroom as the Trump guilty verdict was given
The Manhattan DA was the person who brought the case against Trump.
"While this defendant may be unlike any other in American history, we arrived at this trial -- and ultimately today at 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 said.
Judge Juan M. Merchan set sentencing for July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where GOP leaders, who remained resolute in their support in the aftermath of the verdict, are expected to formally make him their nominee.
The falsifying business records charges carry up to four years behind bars, though Bragg would not say Thursday whether prosecutors intend to seek imprisonment, and it is not clear whether the judge - who earlier in the trial warned of jail time for gag order violations - would impose that punishment even if asked.
The conviction, and even imprisonment, will not bar Trump from continuing his White House pursuit.
The Associated Press and ABC News contributed to this report.
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