Former President Trump a Convicted Felon After Guilty Verdict on All 34 Counts in New York
By Edrea Davis – In a significant legal development, former President Donald Trump has been convicted on 34 counts in New York. This case centers on his involvement in paying off a porn star, Stormy Daniels, with whom he allegedly had an affair while his wife, Melania Trump, was at home caring for their newborn baby. The conviction adds another chapter to Trump’s extensive history of legal troubles.
Previously, Trump was found liable for sexual assault and fraud, resulting in millions of dollars in fines. His fraudulent activities led to the closure of both the Trump Foundation and Trump University. The Trump Foundation was shut down after a lawsuit exposed illegal conduct, including the misuse of charity funds for personal and political expenses. Similarly, Trump University was closed following accusations of deceiving students, culminating in a $25 million settlement.
Trump’s business practices have long been under scrutiny. In the 1970s, the Department of Justice investigated Trump Management Company for discriminating against Black applicants seeking to rent government-subsidized affordable housing units their company was managing. This investigation highlighted discriminatory practices within Trump’s real estate empire.
Financially, Trump has filed for bankruptcy multiple times, with estimates ranging between four to six instances. These bankruptcies allowed him to discharge substantial amounts of debt, leading critics to note the hypocrisy of his complaints about government entitlements like Social Security and welfare while he benefited from financial write-offs that could have funded welfare for thousands of people for decades.
Trump has also faced accusations of money laundering, leading to a $10 million fine imposed by the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Trump Taj Mahal, a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, admitted to multiple deliberate violations of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), including breaches of anti-money laundering (AML) program requirements. The casino had a longstanding history of repeated BSA violations, and in 1998, was fined $477,700 for failing to comply with reporting regulations.
Despite his conviction, Trump still faces 54 additional charges, including allegations of mishandling classified documents and inciting the January 6 insurrection. The charges related to the classified documents allege that Trump took and refused to return classified materials and other government documents after leaving office. The January 6 charges stem from his role in inciting the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, an event aimed at overturning the 2020 presidential election results.
For decades, unconfirmed rumors suggested that Trump had ties to organized crime. His inner circle has often been likened to a criminal enterprise, with several of his associates convicted of felonies. These include: Michael Cohen, his lawyer; Paul Manafort, his campaign chair; Steve Bannon, hid adviser; Rick Gates, his campaign vice chair; Roger Stone, hid long-time adviser; Peter Navarro, his adviser; Allen Weisselberg, Trump Organization CFO; and Michael Flynn, his first National Security Advisor; and his lawyers Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro and Jenna Ellis.
Trump also has a reputation for cheating small contractors in New York out of their pay. His convictions and dubious business practices have not deterred the Republican Party from standing by him. Despite his association with so many people convicted of felonies, three marriages, two divorces, four bankruptcies, two impeachments, $355 million owed for sexual abuse, four indictments, 34 felony convictions, and three upcoming trials for 54 more charges, including a racketeering (RICO) charge, the GOP stands with him. This unwavering support of Republican Senators and members of Congress suggests that the Republican Party has shifted away from its traditional “family values” and “law and order” stances to embrace criminals convicted of felonies.