Explaining how jurors were unanimous that Trump falsified records and conspired to corrupt an election

The Manhattan jury that found Donald Trump guilty Thursday was expected to unanimously conclude that the ex-president falsified business records with the “intent” of covering up another crime.

That crime, prosecutors said, violated a New York state law that makes it illegal to participate in a “conspiracy” to get someone elected to public office by “unlawful means.”

Prosecutors said the plot involved paying money on the sly — to prevent a sex scandal from hurting his chances before the 2016 election — to women who claimed to have had affairs with Trump.

But jurors did not need to unanimously agree on what “unlawful means” were, as Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan gave them three options.

They could conclude that the payments violated federal campaign finance laws by exceeding the $2,700 cap on individual campaign donations, but only if the payments would not have happened anyway, even if Trump was not a candidate, the judge said.

Jurors could also conclude that the payments violated tax law, or that more business records were “falsified” during the alleged conspiracy.

The verdict sheet filled out by jurors, however, shows a check mark next to each of the 34 counts of falsifying business records against Trump, but does not detail the “unlawful means” they say underpinned the conspiracy.