Donald Trump's hush money trial coming to an end, experts debate on possible verdict

Donald Trump has been on trial for more than four weeks now. The former US president, who is currently seeking another term in office in the White House, has had to answer to a court in New York in a hush money trial. Specifically, the case concerns payments of 130,000 dollars to former adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. It is alleged that Trump tried to cover-up an affair he had with the woman ahead of his 2016 election campaign.

The payments made by Trump's lawyer at the time, Michael Cohen, were subsequently repaid to him by Trump and then illegally recorded as legal fees. Trump has so far denied both the payment and that he had a relationship with Stormy Daniels. In the current trial, he is charged with 34 counts of falsifying documents and, if it turns out that Trump wanted to cover up another offense, the act would be considered a criminal offense.

What sentence awaits the ex-president?

As reported by the German publication Frankfurter Rundschau, as well as the Daily Mail and the magazines Politico and The Hill, the closing arguments will be read out tomorrow, on Tuesday 28 May 2024. The jury will then deliberate on whether Donald Trump is guilty or innocent. Many experts are currently speculating on what the verdict might be.

Donald Trump critic George Conway, for example, suspects that the whole thing is unlikely to end well for Trump. For the verdict to become final, all 12 jurors must agree on each of the 34 charges - otherwise the trial will be deemed a failure. For Trump's defense, the hope could now be that even just one jury member decides against convicting him. However, Cohen does not see this as likely.

Michael Cohen's lack of credibility

Another view is that Donald Trump actually has a chance of being found innocent, with the testimony of his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen playing a central role. The prosecution wanted to use his testimony to prove that the hush money payments were an attempt to influence the election and that the former President was fully aware of this.

Michael Cohen's statements do indeed incriminate the ex-president. However, some also question his words, as he has already lied under oath several times and has therefore already served time behind bars. It remains to be seen what the final verdict will be.

This article has been translated from Gentside DE.

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Sources used:

Politico: "Will the Jury Convict Trump? Here Are the Clues: Judgment day approaches"

Daily Mail: "'I don't see a good outcome for Trump:' Attorney's ominous warning for former president ahead of hush money trial's conclusion this week"

Frankfurter Rundschau: "Trump vor Gericht: Schuldig oder unschuldig – wie die Jury entscheiden könnte"

The Hill: "Court battles: George Conway predicts Trump won't be unanimously acquitted in hush money trial"