Former President Donald Trump has been found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records to influence the outcome of the 2016 election. He is set to be sentenced July 11.
The verdict by 12 jurors in New York is a historic one in many ways: it is the first time a former or sitting U.S. president has been convicted of criminal charges; and, as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, is currently campaigning to regain the White House.
The 2024 election was top of mind for Trump when he spoke to reporters outside the courthouse after the verdict was read.
"This was a rigged, disgraceful trial," Trump said. "The real verdict is going to be November 5th, by the people."
Reaction on X from Ohio legislators was swift, many of them allies of the former president.
J.D. Vance, Republican Ohio U.S. Senator
This decision is a disgrace to the rule of law and our Constitution.
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) May 30, 2024
Dems invented a felony to "get Trump," with the help of a Soros funded prosecutor and a Biden donor Judge, who rigged the entire case to get this outcome.
This isn't justice, it's election interference.
Frank LaRose, Republican Ohio Secretary of State
Partisan prosecutor. Activist judge. Sham trial. Bogus verdict. It’s a sad day in America when a political party is so afraid of losing its grip on power that they’re willing to abuse justice to game an election. This will not stand.
— Frank LaRose (@FrankLaRose) May 30, 2024
Bernie Moreno, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate
Today is a dark day for American democracy. Joe Biden and his leftwing allies engaged in election interference to prosecute their top political opponent on bogus charges. This verdict is representative of a banana republic, not a democracy. Sherrod Brown and DC Democrats should…
— Bernie Moreno (@berniemoreno) May 30, 2024
Jim Jordan, Republican Rep., Ohio 4th District
The verdict is a travesty of justice.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) May 30, 2024
The Manhattan kangaroo court shows what happens when our justice system is weaponized by partisan prosecutors in front of a biased judge with an unfair process, designed to keep President Trump off the campaign trail and avoid bringing…
Greg Landsman, Democratic Rep. Ohio 2nd District
No one is above the law. Not even Donald Trump. https://t.co/8k9MGfTIkf
— Congressman Greg Landsman (@RepGregLandsman) May 30, 2024
Dave Yost, Ohio's Republican Attorney General
This verdict is likely to be overturned. It is not the first unjust verdict, and it is why we have courts of appeals.
— Attorney General Dave Yost (@DaveYostOH) May 30, 2024
The aptly named Alvin Bragg picked his defendant and campaigned on prosecuting him—disreputable and unethical conduct that tarnished the justice system.
Alex Triantafilou, Ohio GOP Chairman
— Alex Triantafilou (@ChairmanAlex) May 30, 2024
Allison Russo, Democratic Ohio House minority leader
Ohio Republican leaders frantically posting about rigged investigations and prosecutions is not quite landing with me today when many just voted to give massive investigative and prosecutorial power to their hyper-political AG to preempt citizen-led ballot initiatives.
— Allison Russo🌻 (@Russo4Ohio) May 30, 2024
This article will be updated.
