Trump hush money trial: Trump found guilty on all counts in historic case
Trump was found guilty on all 34 felony counts in his hush money trial.
Former President Donald Trump has been found guilty on all 34 felony counts related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. It marks the first time in history that a former U.S. president has been convicted on criminal charges.
Trump last April pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment his then-attorney Michael Cohen made to Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.
Top headlines:
Trump guilty on all 34 counts
Trump departs, sentencing set for July 11
Sentencing has been set for July 11.
The Republican National Convention begins July 15 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Former President Donald Trump was released without bail.
Trump marched out of the courtroom, flinging his arms as he walked.
Judge thanks jurors for 'stressful' task
Judge Merchan thanked the jurors for their service after the verdict.
"I can see how involved, engaged and invested you were in this process," he said.
"You were engaged in a very stressful and difficult task. … I want you to know I really admire your dedication, your hard work," Merchan said.
Trump sat motionless as the judge spoke to the jurors.
Merchan's last words to the jurors were, "You are excused with the gratitude of the court. Thank you."
Trump shakes head at verdict
Former President Donald Trump started slowly shaking his head at count 4, then stopped and sat motionless as the rest of the guilty verdicts were read.
As the last five counts were read, Trump was entirely stone-faced, with his lips pursed, looking down at the floor.
Trump at some points looked over at the jurors.
A group of demonstrators outside the courthouse cheered and shouted "lock him up" and "USA" after the verdict was read.
Verdict breakdown by count
Former President Trump was convicted on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in order to hide a hush money payment to boost his prospects in the 2016 election. Here are each of the records he was charged with falsifying, and the verdict for each.
1) An invoice from Michael Cohen dated Feb. 14, 2017 - GUILTY
2) An entry in the Detail General Ledger for the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust on or about Feb. 14, 2017 - GUILTY
3) An entry in the Detail General Ledger for the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust on or about Feb. 14, 2017 - GUILTY
4) A Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust Account check and check stub dated Feb. 14, 2017 - GUILTY
5) An invoice from Michael Cohen dated Feb. 16, 2017 and transmitted on or about March 16, 2017 - GUILTY
6) An entry in the Detail General Ledger for the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust on or about March 17, 2017 - GUILTY
7) A Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust Account check and check stub dated March 17, 2017 - GUILTY
8) An invoice from Michael Cohen dated April 13, 2017 - GUILTY
9) An entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump on or about June 19, 2017 - GUILTY
10) A Donald J. Trump account check and check stub dated June 19, 2017 - GUILTY
11) An invoice from Michael Cohen dated May 22, 2017 - GUILTY
12) An entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump on or about May 22, 2017 - GUILTY
13) A Donald J. Trump account check and check stub dated May 23, 2017 - GUILTY
14) An invoice from Michael Cohen dated June 16, 2017 - GUILTY
15) An entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump on or about June 19, 2017 - GUILTY
16) A Donald J. Trump account check and check stub dated June 19, 2017 - GUILTY
17) An invoice from Michael Cohen dated July 11, 2017 - GUILTY
18) An entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump on or about July 11, 2017 - GUILTY
19) A Donald J. Trump account check and check stub dated July 11, 2017 - GUILTY
20) An invoice from Michael Cohen dated Aug. 1, 2017 - GUILTY
21) An entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump on or about Aug. 1, 2017 - GUILTY
22) A Donald J. Trump account check and check stub dated Aug. 1, 2017 - GUILTY
23) An invoice from Michael Cohen dated Sept. 11, 2017 - GUILTY
24) An entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump on or about Sept. 11, 2017 - GUILTY
25) A Donald J. Trump account check and check stub dated Sept. 12, 2017 - GUILTY
26) An invoice from Michael Cohen dated Oct. 18, 2017 - GUILTY
27) An entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump on or about Oct. 18, 2017 - GUILTY
28) A Donald J. Trump account check and check stub dated Oct. 18, 2017 - GUILTY
29) An invoice from Michael Cohen dated Nov. 20, 2017 - GUILTY
30) An entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump on or about Nov. 20, 2017 - GUILTY
31) A Donald J. Trump account check and check stub dated Nov. 21, 2017 - GUILTY
32) An invoice from Michael Cohen dated Dec. 1, 2017 - GUILTY
33) An entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump on or about Dec. 1, 2017 - GUILTY
34) A Donald J. Trump account check and check stub dated Dec. 5, 2017 - GUILTY
Prosecutor says AMI agreement was to 'serve the campaign'
Prosecutor Josh Steinglass rehashed the phone call that then-National Enquirer publisher David Pecker said he had with Trump about the Karen McDougal payment.
During the phone call, Pecker testified that Trump expressed skepticism about the hush money payment.
"Mr. Trump said to me ... 'I don't buy stories.' And he said, 'Anything you do anything like this, it always gets out,'" Pecker testified.
"He thought that these stories always get out and I guess he was right about that," Steinglass told jurors.
"Their motivation was to serve the campaign -- that's what makes this a catch-and-kill" the prosecutor said.
Michael Cohen was Trump's "liaison" to Pecker, "conveying Mr. Trump's instructions every step of the way," Steinglass said.
"Critical here is Pecker's acknowledgement that he never intended to publish the story under any circumstances … Pecker was willing to sacrifice AMI's bottom line in service of the campaign," said Steinglass, emphasizing that that AMI's $150,000 payment to Karen McDougal was not standard operating procedure for the National Enquirer.
Steinglass told jurors that Pecker thought the story, if true, was "National Enquirer gold" -- yet he would not have run the story to help Trump.
"Pecker was willing to sacrifice AMI's bottom line in service of Donald Trump's campaign," Steinglass said. "This deal was the very antithesis of a normal press function."