The judge in Donald Trump’s hush money trial sent a letter to the former president’s lawyers and prosecutors warning about an incriminating social media post that appeared before the jury reached its verdict in the landmark case.
All twelve New York juries found Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records on May 30. Sentencing is set for July 11. He is the first former president found guilty of criminal charges.
But in a letter to Trump attorney Todd Blanche, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass and other trial attorneys, Judge Juan Merchan drew their attention to a comment posted on the Unified Court System’s public Facebook page.
It says “My cousin is a member of the jury and he says Trump is going to be convicted (emoji) Thank you friends for all your work!!!”
Merchan wrote in his letter that the comment was posted on May 29, the day before the jury found Trump guilty by a user ‘Michael Anderson’.
It was published in response to oral arguments in the Fourth Department of the Appellate Division unrelated to the trial.
Donald Trump leaves court after a jury found him guilty of all 34 counts of falsifying business records
The incriminating post raises questions about whether one of the jurors actually discussed the case with others when they were not allowed to do so.
If that were the case, it could be grounds for a mistrial.
It’s not clear that the Facebook user who posted was actually related to any jurors or had prior knowledge of the verdict. She could also have been a random Facebook user looking to stir up controversy or confusion.
The jury of seven men and five women in Manhattan Criminal Court deliberated for nearly 10 hours before convicting the former president of 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Trump was convicted of falsifying business records to cover up paying porn star Stormy Daniels to keep her silent about a previous sexual encounter before the 2016 election.
It was the first time a former US president has faced a criminal trial and came as Trump is running for a second term as president.
Judge Juan Merchán sent a letter to Trump’s lawyers and prosecutors on June 7 alerting them to a Facebook post by a user who claimed to have had prior knowledge of the hush money trial verdict.
A sketch of jurors listening to testimony in the hush money trial. Trump was convicted of falsifying business records in an effort to cover up a payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet before the 2016 election.
The former president has criticized the verdict and his lawyers have already said they will appeal.
The Trump campaign said it was “investigating.”