Former President Donald Trump has been found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign. The verdict was returned by a jury in New York City on May 30, 2024.
Reactions from various political figures in New England have surfaced. Democratic Representative Jim McGovern of Worcester, Massachusetts, declared on social media, "It's official: Trump is a convicted felon!" Similarly, Representative Lori Trahan, also a Democrat from Westford, emphasized, "No one is above the law." Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy noted the significance of a presidential candidate being a convicted criminal, stating, "The rule of law still matters."
Trump's conviction stems from allegations that he falsified records to conceal reimbursements to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who had paid Stormy Daniels $130,000 to prevent her from disclosing an alleged sexual encounter with Trump. The former president, who pleaded not guilty, denied any sexual involvement and argued the payments were lawful.
In addition to this case, Trump faces other legal challenges, including cases in Florida related to classified documents, efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Washington, D.C., and alleged interference in the Georgia 2020 presidential race.
The Biden campaign, while respecting the rule of law, highlighted that Trump's conviction would not prevent him from being the Republican nominee. Biden's campaign communications director Michael Tyler stated, "Convicted felon or not, Trump will be the Republican nominee for president." President Joe Biden, who was in Delaware at the time of the verdict, has not yet commented directly.