The interview, which lasted less than 30 minutes, was conducted virtually from his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago, with a probation officer at the Manhattan court. Trump was accompanied by his lawyer Todd Blanche.
The probation officer will use the interview to compile a pre-sentencing report for Justice Juan Merchan. Trump, who was convicted last month of 34 counts of falsifying business records, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11.
Typically, convicts in the New York Court system do not have their lawyers present for probation interviews. However, Justice Merchan allowed Mr. Blanche to appear alongside Trump. The pre-sentencing report will include information about various aspects of Trump’s life, including his marriages, criminal history, financial means, health, and living arrangements.
During the interview, the probation officer likely asked Trump to discuss the crime he was convicted of. Trump has indicated that he intends to appeal the verdict. The reports of the interview are confidential and will only be made available to the judge, the defendant, and the lawyers in the case.
Jurors found Trump guilty of falsifying business records to conceal hush-money payments made to former porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election campaign. Despite his conviction, most legal commentators believe that Trump is unlikely to face any jail time, given his lack of criminal history and age
