Former President Donald J. Trump has been convicted of at least one felony in a criminal case involving hush money payments to a porn star in the run-up to the 2016 election. He is the first U.S. president to be declared a felon, a stain that will follow him as he seeks reelection.
Prosecutors at trial described Mr. Trump as committing a fraud on the American people in 34 counts of falsifying business records, arguing that he concealed the true purpose of payments to his former fixer, Michael D. Cohen. They said the records disguised the payments as ordinary legal fees when, in fact, Mr. Trump was repaying Cohen for a $130,000 hush money agreement with the porn star Stormy Daniels to silence her claims of having a sexual relationship with Mr. Trump.