WASHINGTON – One of Donald Trump’s lawyers has told the BBC “nothing will change” his fight for the White House – despite being convicted following an historic trial in New York.
Jurors found Trump guilty of falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments made to former porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election campaign.
Trump became the first US president to be convicted of a crime, but he has said the trial was rigged and the prosecution was politically orchestrated.
Lawyer Alina Habba said the former president is a “victim of political, selective prosecution”.
Following the seven-week trial at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse, Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Trump will be sentenced on 11 July. However, he confirmed he will be appealing against his criminal convictions.
Habba, 40, sat alongside Trump during the trial and said even if jailed, Trump will still stand in the US presidential election in November.
“We have seen some corruption in this country that frankly has never seen before in our judicial system,” said Habba. “It is very real, it is not posturing by any means, it is 100% a problem that this country is going to have to handle and get a grapple on in November. He is running for president, nothing will change there. The people that need him in this country, because frankly it’s more important than anything anybody else thinks. Our people are speaking loudly, they’re donating, they’re small donors, and they are standing up because they are afraid, because we cannot have this happen to us.”
In remarks at Trump Tower in New York, Trump spoke for more than 30 minutes and angrily attacked his political opponents, the jury and the judge in his case.
He called Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over his trial, a “tyrant” and claimed that he “literally crucified” witnesses.
In response, President Joe Biden’s campaign described Trump as unhinged and thirsting for revenge.
“That’s how the American system of justice works,” Biden said, adding it was “reckless” and “irresponsible” for anyone to suggest the trial was rigged.
Trump’s unprecedented conviction has entrenched bitter divisions in the US, in the run-up to November’s vote.
Prosecutors successfully laid out a case Trump was afraid Daniels would fatally harm his 2016 presidential campaign by going public with an alleged sexual encounter, prompting him to pay her – then illegally hide the transaction.
Trump denied these allegations.
In exclusive comments to the Daily Mirror, Daniels said Trump should be jailed or used as “the volunteer punching bag at a women’s shelter.”
She told the paper: “It’s not over for me. It’s never going to be over for me. Trump may be guilty, but I still have to live with the legacy.” (BBC)
