Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's case against former President Donald Trump over alleged hush money paid to an adult film actress came to a close Thursday, with Trump being found guilty on all 34 counts in a unanimous decision.
Why it matters: Bragg is now the first prosecutor to ever convict a current or former U.S. president.
- Trump was on trial while campaigning for the presidential election. The guilty verdict will raise unprecedented legal and political questions related to the election, such as whether Trump will be able to vote in November.
Driving the news: After more than a month of testimony, the 12-person jury deliberated for two days before reaching its verdict.
- Trump is expected to appeal the verdict, but that process is unlikely to wrap before election day.
The big picture: The trial began in April in one of Trump's four criminal cases, despite attempts from his legal team to delay its start.
- He faces charges for allegedly falsifying business records to cover up a payment worth $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
- This was the first of the four criminal cases brought against him, and he pleaded not guilty.
State of play: Bragg, a Democrat who grew up in Harlem, became Manhattan's first Black district attorney in 2022.
- He beat out seven other Democrats in the 2021 election in a campaign focused on public safety and fairness for defendants.
- "Alvin believes in holding powerful people accountable for harming everyday New Yorkers," the DA's website said.
- He has prioritized reducing recidivism, increasing gun prosecutions and centering the well-being of survivors.
Context: Bragg earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School.
- Before becoming D.A., he was a visiting professor and co-director of the Racial Justice Project at New York Law School, where he represented Eric Garner's mother and sister in a lawsuit.
Flashback: Bragg inherited the Trump case from former Manhattan D.A. Cyrus Vance.
- The Manhattan District Attorney's Office subpoenaed the Trump Organization for records related to the alleged hush money in 2019.
- In 2023, a grand jury in New York indicted Trump over the investigation.
Worthy of your time: Bragg secured a six-count indictment against former White House strategist Steve Bannon and WeBuildTheWall Inc. on charges including money laundering, conspiracy and scheming to defraud.
- He also was involved in the conviction of Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg in connection with a tax evasion scheme.
Friction point: Bragg has received attacks from Republicans, who said the prosecution was politically partisan.
- He received death threats and "violent and racist vitriol" from Trump allies following the former president's controversial indictment.
- Erin E. Murphy, a New York University law professor and friend of Bragg's, told the New York Times the prosecutor isn't political.
- "He's like, not a hyperpartisan political person in any way, shape or form," Murphy said.
Go deeper: U.S. voters take Trump's hush money charges seriously: Poll
Editor's note: This story has been updated with news of the trial verdict.
