Fact check: What were the 34 things Donald Trump was convicted of?

1. Summary of the results

Donald Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree in the New York State Supreme Court ^[1]. These convictions specifically relate to:

• Each count corresponds to separate checks, invoices, and vouchers used to reimburse Michael Cohen ^[2]
• The reimbursements were for a $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels ^[2]
• The payments were structured as monthly installments of $35,000 made to Cohen in 2017 ^[2]

This conviction is historically significant as Trump became the first sitting or former U.S. president to be found guilty of criminal charges ^{[3] [4]}.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual elements were not addressed in the original question:

• The payments were made before the 2016 election and were allegedly intended to influence the election outcome ^{[5] [4]}
• Trump received an unconditional discharge as his sentence ^[3]
• The case is still ongoing through legal appeals ^[3]
• The conviction required a unanimous jury decision that Trump had falsified these business records ^[4]
• The records were falsely labeled as legitimate legal expenses when they were actually hush money payments ^[2]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question's phrasing could lead to some misconceptions:

• It might suggest 34 different types of crimes, when in fact it was 34 counts of the same crime ^[1]
• It doesn't acknowledge that Trump continues to deny both the charges and the underlying affair ^{[5] [3]}

Those benefiting from different narratives include:

• Trump's political opponents benefit from emphasizing the historic nature of the conviction
• Trump's supporters benefit from focusing on his denials and the ongoing appeals
• Media organizations benefit from both perspectives as they generate continued coverage and engagement