JoAnn Fleming 

In Smith County, political figures have mixed opinions about the conviction of former President Donald J. Trump on felony charges of falsifying business records.

Thursday’s unprecedented ruling in a New York hush money case saw Trump convicted on all 34 felony counts. Prosecutors said Trump organized payments to porn star Stormy Daniel’s ahead of the 2016 presidential election to suppress details of an affair between the two.

The verdict has sparked a range of reactions, highlighting partisan divides.

Some local leaders view the conviction as a reaffirmation that no one is above the law.

“We are a nation of laws and no one is above the law,” said Cody Grace, Texas House District 6 Democrat candidate. “If a jury of his peers convicted him of a crime, it shows that our legal system is capable of convicting any person in this nation.”

Others argue the conviction represents a double standard in the judicial system.

“The federal government has weaponized this system against an individual. This is not a criminal issue. This is not a civil issue. It’s been made into a political issue,” said David Stein, Smith County Republican Chair. “If this were anyone else, it wouldn’t be happening.”

The contrasting opinions indicate the polarized political climate surrounding Trump’s legal battles, reflecting broader national sentiments.

Trump spoke from the atrium of Trump Tower on Friday in New York, insisting the verdict was “rigged” and driven by politics, according to the Associated Press.

Trump did not testify, but jurors heard his voice through a secret recording of a conversation with his former lawyer Michael Cohen in which he and the lawyer “discussed a $150,000 hush money deal involving a Playboy model, Karen McDougal, who has said she had an affair with Trump,” according to the AP. “What do we got to pay for this? One-fifty?” Trump was heard saying on the recording made by Cohen.

Jurors also heard Daniels recount graphic sexual encounters and heard from Keith Davidson, the lawyer who negotiated hush money payments on behalf of Daniels and McDougal.

Davidson detailed negotiations with both women to compensate them for their silence. After two days of deliberations, Trump was found guilty on 34 charges. The former president maintains his innocence.

In his public appearance Friday, Trump cast himself as a martyr, suggesting that if this could happen to him, “They can do this to anyone,” the AP reported.

Gov. Gregg Abbott took to X, formerly Twitter, saying “Americans deserve better than a sitting U.S. President weaponizing our justice system against a political opponent — all to win an election. We must FIRE Joe Biden in November.”

United States Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz (TX) have criticized the conviction, labeling the verdict a “sham” and a “disgrace.” Both senators assert the legal action is a strategic move to distract voters and undermine the November election.

On the other end of the spectrum, Smith County Democratic Party Chair Hector Garza was surprised to see the verdict.

“All these years, Donald Trump has been untouchable. He’s done what he’s wanted,” Garza said. “I was surprised by the verdict. I really did not think that it was possible.”

Garza described the situation as embarrassing for the American people, noting the issue has further tarnished the country’s image on the world stage.

But, the most important thing is that despite Republican claims, neither the Department of Justice or the Biden administration could have manipulated the outcome, Garza said. He said Trump was convicted by a jury hand selected by both the prosecution and the defense.

Others call it abuse of the legal system.

“This ‘lawfare’ verdict is another example that we are living in post- Constitutional America,” said JoAnn Fleming, executive director of Grassroots America-We the People. “Such brazen abuse of legal and judicial institutions in an attempt to politically damage and delegitimize a political opponent can destabilize this nation.”

Stein said the verdict is part of an eight-year-long attempt to deny Trump ballot access.

“It’s frustrating to watch this not just as a Republican, but as an American. They have come after this man nonstop,” Stein said. “If they can do this to him, they can do this to anyone. It’s our system that’s at risk here and people think they’ve done this country a favor by doing this.”

The American people instinctively know this was unfair, according to Fleming.

Meanwhile, Smith County Democrats anticipate that Republicans loyal to Trump will intensify their support for him. Despite the charges carrying a potential sentence of up to four years in prison, the conviction and possible imprisonment do not legally prevent Trump from continuing his campaign for the White House.

“I think that we’re putting ourselves in a position where we are trying to throw out the legitimacy of our legal system, just to appease one specific person … That’s dangerous,” Grace said.

The allegations are not glorifying but are nothing new for Washington D.C. Stein mentioned Hillary Clinton and destroyed classified documents, Hunter Biden’s laptop controversy and allegations against current president Joe Biden.

“We want to look the other way on every other issue, but not on this one,” Stein said. “When you ask questions about immoral, holy smokes, there’s a laundry list that has been looked past and it doesn’t make them right, but this is what angers people with a two-tiered system of justice.”

Garza said, “There is no double standard,” and if Clinton or Hunter Biden were found guilty in a court of law, they should be held accountable and treated no differently than Trump or anyone else.

“This is a very dangerous, historically significant fork in the road for the United States,” Fleming said. “The American people have had a two-tiered justice system shoved in their faces for long enough.”

Stein said Republicans are angered, activated and mobilized like never before.

Smith County citizens are well informed and will “overwhelmingly” vote for Trump in November, according to Fleming. They are looking for candidates and elected officials who understand what time it is in America and will fight back, she said.

Trump’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11, days before the Republican National Convention where Trump is expected to receive the party’s formal nomination.

“People that were going to vote for Trump before are going to vote for Trump now,” Grace said. “But I do think that if there are people [who] were questioning who to vote for, either won’t vote at all or they will vote for Joe Biden.”

Garza believes this felony conviction will influence voters’ decisions, especially swing voters.

“It’s really going to hurt his chances with the swing voters,” Garza said. “But honestly, I believe that Democrats and Republicans alike have to begin to find some commonalities and slowly begin to work for the constituents versus working for their party.”

Trump is expected to appeal any decision made by New York State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan.

“We’re going to fight,” Trump said Friday, according to the AP.

Trump also is involved in two separate 2020 election interference cases and another case related to the improper storage of secret documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Those cases are not expected to be resolved before Election Day.