By Randall Yip, Executive Editor
Asian American members of Congress reacted swiftly to guilty verdicts in all 34 counts against Donald Trump for covering up hush payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.
All the reaction came from Democrats with the three Republicans- Rep Michelle Steel and Rep Young Kim of Southern California and Rep Stephani Bice of Oklahoma- silent as of this writing.
“Today, our legal system worked as intended…This goes to the heart of our justice system and our democracy: no one is above the law,” said Rep Judy Chu (D-CA) and the chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
“This is a serious and somber moment for our country, but one that we arrived at because the rule of law held strong,” said Rep Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois.
Prosecutors successfully argued in New York that Trump falsified documents to cover up his payments to Daniels to prevent disclosure of a sexual encounter she says he had with her in 2006 and avoid a sex scandal during his successful presidential run in 2016.
Trump now faces up to four years in prison, although this is his first criminal offense and legal analysts says he could avoid prison time altogether.
Rep Pramila Jayapal of Washington called the jurors “courageous people” who “put aside all biases…No one is above the law, not even a former president. This is an important moment of accountability in American.”
Trump who is expected to appeal the verdict called the verdict a “disgrace” and the court proceedings a “a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt…this is far from over.”
He said the real verdict would happen on November 5th, election day. The felony conviction does not prevent him from running for president.
He is the first former president to be convicted of a felony.
“It is a somber day when a former president is convicted of numerous felonies, but it also shows that no one is above the law,” said Rep Bobby Scott of Virginia.
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