Trump declares intent to appeal conviction, as forecast.
Following his conviction of former US President Donald Trump, it was anticipated that he would launch an appeal. Trump declared his appeal plans in the lobby of the New York Trump Tower during a chaotic 30-minute speech last Friday. He reiterated his claims that the process was rigged and that anyone could become a target of politically motivated prosecution. His supporters cheered as he proclaimed, "If they can do this to me, they can do it to anyone." Trump declined to answer reporters' inquiries.
Before Trump could formally file an appeal, he must await the announcement of his sentence, scheduled for July 11th. Trump, with aspirations to return to the White House, was found guilty by a jury of 12 citizens in the Stormy Daniels hush-money case on Thursday night, facing 34 charges related to falsifying business records. He denied the allegations made during the trial.
This historic case makes Trump the first former president in the US to be charged with a crime. Despite the conviction and the possibility of imprisonment, Trump could still run for president. Facing up to four years behind bars, his potential sentence has been significantly lower in comparable cases. If convicted and jailed, Trump could still become the country's leader.
Trump faced accusations of fraudulent accounting in connection to the $130,000 hush-money settlement sent to Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election. The goal was to prevent her from disclosing an alleged affair in 2006. His personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, was the one who financed Daniels' payment. Trump acknowledged reimbursing Cohen for the payment. However, he maintains there was no affair with Daniels.
