(BBC News) One of Donald Trump’s lawyers has told the BBC “nothing will change” his fight for the White House – despite being convicted following a historic trial in New York.
Jurors found Trump guilty on Thursday of falsifying business records to conceal hush-money payments made to former porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election campaign.
Trump became the first US president to be convicted of a crime, but he has said the trial was rigged and the prosecution was politically orchestrated.
Lawyer Alina Habba said Sunday that the former president is a “victim of political, selective prosecution.”
Following the seven-week trial at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse, Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Trump will be sentenced on July 11. However, he confirmed he will be appealing his criminal convictions.
Habba, who sat alongside Trump during the trial, said even if jailed, Trump will run in the US presidential election in November.
“We have seen some corruption in this country that frankly has never seen before in our judicial system,” Habba said.
“It is very real; it is not posturing by any means. It is 100% a problem that this country is going to have to handle and get a grapple on in November.
“He is running for president, nothing will change there. The people that need him in this country, because frankly it’s more important than anything anybody else thinks.
“Our people are speaking loudly — they are donating, they are small donors, and they are standing up because they are afraid, because we cannot have this happen to us.”
In remarks at Trump Tower in New York on Friday, Trump spoke for more than 30 minutes, attacking his political opponents, the jury, and the judge in his case.
He called Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over his trial, a “tyrant”, and claimed that he “literally crucified” witnesses.
In response, President Joe Biden’s campaign described Trump as unhinged and thirsting for revenge.
“That’s how the American system of justice works,” Biden said, adding it was “reckless” and “irresponsible” for anyone to suggest that the trial was rigged.
Trump’s conviction has entrenched bitter divisions in the US, in the run-up to November’s vote.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crggwzl6vq1o
