Trump campaign announces $53 mn raised after conviction

Donald Trump’s campaign said it had raised nearly $53 million in online small-dollar donations after he was convicted in his New York hush money trial, boasting that the verdict had galvanised his support “like never before.”

Donald Trump's campaign said it had raised nearly $53 million in online small-dollar donations after he was convicted in his New York hush money trial, boasting that the verdict had galvanised his support "like never before."

The record haul was equivalent to more than $2 million raised per hour, it said.

Senior campaign aides Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles said in statements that more than a third of the total came from new donors to the campaign and hailed an "outpouring of support from patriots across our country."

Calling the Thursday court decision a "sham trial verdict" the advisors reported that the "digital fundraising system was overwhelmed with support" despite temporary online delays "because of the amount of traffic" from small-dollar donors.

As of Friday evening, the day's total had climbed to a whopping $52.8 million.

A jury convicted Mr. Trump on Thursday on all 34 charges of falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal in the final stages of the 2016 presidential campaign.

Prosecutors said Mr. Trump had sex with porn actress Stormy Daniels soon after his wife Melania had given birth in 2006, and then paid hush money a decade later to avoid the fallout and deceive voters, before creating false paperwork to conceal the payment.