Former President Trump quickly moved to raise funds off his guilty verdict, writing to supporters that he was the victim of an unfair trial and that he would win back the White House with their help.
“Friend: Is this the end of America? I was just convicted in a RIGGED political Witch Hunt trial: I DID NOTHING WRONG! They’ve raided my home, arrested me, took my mugshot, AND NOW THEY’VE JUST CONVICTED ME! But with your support at this moment in history, WE WILL WIN BACK THE WHITE HOUSE AND MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” reads a fundraising email from Trump National Committee JFC.
“My end-of-month fundraising deadline is just DAYS AWAY!” the message added.
A photo of Trump in the email labeled him a “political prisoner.”
The request went out shortly after a jury in New York found Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in his hush money case, making him the first former president to be convicted of a felony.
Two days after closing arguments in the trial wrapped up, the Manhattan jury reached a unanimous decision to find Trump guilty on all counts of falsifying business records. He was charged in connection with a hush money payment made by his ex-fixer, Michael Cohen, to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to quiet her allegations of an affair.
Trump denies the affair and pleaded not guilty — and he told cameras after the verdict that he is “a very innocent man.”
“This was a rigged, disgraceful trial. The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people, and they know what happened here, and everybody knows what happened here,” Trump said outside the courtroom.
The former president won’t face sentencing until July, just before the Republican National Convention. A felony conviction isn’t a barrier to seeking the Oval Office, but the development is nevertheless set to roil the presidential race as Trump and President Biden ready for a rematch.
Trump faces the possibility of prison time, though experts have said that’s unlikely. He could also be barred from casting a ballot in his home state of Florida.