Jury Deliberations Begin in Trump's Hush Money Trial
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – After more than a month of testimony in a courtroom in New York, jury deliberations in former US president Donald Trump's hush money trial began on Wednesday.
Prosecutors argued that Trump orchestrated a conspiracy to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.
The 12 jurors are now weighing a verdict in the first criminal trial of someone to have served in the Oval Office, NHK reported.
Trump is charged with falsifying business records related to a hush money payment ahead of the election to adult film star Stormy Daniels to stay quiet about a sexual relationship.
Prosecutors called 20 witnesses, including his former lawyer, Michael Cohen. They alleged Trump reimbursed him for making the payment, then recorded those transfers as legal fees.
The defense called Cohen a "liar" who cannot be trusted.
Trump said, "These charges are rigged. The whole thing is rigged."
The jurors spent the day deliberating behind closed doors but did not reach a verdict. They were dismissed and will continue on Thursday. The deliberations can take days, or even weeks.
The judge could choose to sentence Trump to probation; however, each of the 34 counts carries the possibility of up to four years in prison.
