(The Center Square) – Florida Republicans, led by Gov. Ron DeSantis, blasted a guilty verdict on all charges in former President Donald Trump’s New York business records trial.
“Today’s verdict represents the culmination of a legal process that has been bent to the political will of the actors involved: A leftist prosecutor, a partisan judge and a jury reflective of one of the most liberal enclaves in America – all in an effort to ‘get’ Donald Trump,” DeSantis said in a post to X. “That this case – involving alleged misdemeanor business records violations from nearly a decade ago – was even brought is a testament to the political debasement of the justice system in places like New York City. This is especially true considering this same district attorney routinely excuses criminal conduct in a way that has endangered law-abiding citizens in his jurisdiction.”
DeSantis, who ran against Trump for the GOP presidential nomination, said the rule of law should not become captive to the political agenda of some kangaroo court.
“It is often said that no one is above the law, but it is also true that no one is below the law,” DeSantis continued. “If the defendant were not Donald Trump, this case would never have been brought, the judge would have never issued similar rulings, and the jury would have never returned a guilty verdict.”
Also chiming in was Florida Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill.The former state GOP chairman said in a post on X that “I fully expect Trump to appeal and win on the grounds of lack of due process. I wouldn’t be surprised if they find the NY law unconstitutional.”
The state’s chief financial officer, Jimmy Patronis, said on X that the country was now a banana republic.
“To orchestrate charges in an election year for something years earlier just to try and take out a political opponent – this is what people have been fleeing in 3rd World countries for decades. Embarrassing. Low point in American history. Sad day.”
Trump was convicted on 34 counts on Thursday of falsifying business records. Under New York state law, falsifying business records in the first degree is a Class E felony with a maximum sentence of four years in prison.
The case centered around Trump’s alleged sexual encounter with an adult film actress in 2006 and a $130,000 payment to her in 2016 to keep her quiet ahead of the 2016 election. Trump has pleaded not guilty and denied the encounter happened.
