Debunking 12 Myths About Trump's Conviction
Myth: No one knows what Trump was charged with.
Myth: Prosecutors stretched the law to convert a misdemeanor into a felony.
Response: Under New York law, a simple falsification of business records without any intent to commit or conceal another crime is a violation of the statute in the second degree, punishable as a misdemeanor.
An intent to conceal another crime is an aggravating factor that brings enhanced penalties, such as a felony. This law containing degrees of severity was enacted by the New York legislature, and it is a common way of structuring laws with escalating penalties for more egregious violations. (For example, penalties for federal drug offenses range from misdemeanors for simple possession to lengthy terms of imprisonment for aggravating factors based on quantity or intent to distribute.)
The grand jury found probable cause of 34 violations in the first degree, and the trial jury found proof of these crimes beyond a reasonable doubt.
Myth: The prosecution didn’t tell Trump what he was charged with until closing argument, a violation of due process.
Myth: It was improper for a state prosecutor to charge a federal offense.
Myth: Trump would not have been charged for a mere bookkeeping error if his name were anything other than Donald J. Trump.
Response: The Manhattan DA’s office has filed charges for falsification of business records 9,794 times since 2015
Myth: There is nothing illegal about paying hush money, and famous people do it all the time.
American legal expert Barbara McQuade breaks down several false claims about Trump's conviction being rigged.
time.com