Raymond Santana, one of the men wrongly accused in the Central Park Five case, has stated Donald Trump's recent conviction of 34 counts of business fraud was a result of karma.
In an interview with CNN, Santana spoke on the recent issues with Trump and commented on how he needs to pay for his transgressions regarding the five men who were accused of assaulting and raping a woman in the 90s in New York City. According to Santana, Trump's conviction of 34 felony counts of business fraud is a result of karma for how he reacted to the Central Park Five case.
"For me, it was about karma," Santana said. "It was the example of, this is what happens when rich billionaires who stand on white privilege now have to answer, right?"
He continued, "So it becomes a surreal moment. It also becomes a moment where you just got to take it in, right? This is the stuff that we had to deal with of 1989: going through trial, hearing the conviction, hearing a guilty verdict. And then, now having to sit there and wait for sentencing. I understand that process all too well.
"And, so, I think now, it's like, you get to see a person of Donald Trump's stature right? Who was a former president, and now you get to see that he's not above the law, that he can be touched. That he can have this experience that's very similar to mine. It becomes a moment that is a surreal moment. It's a full circle moment for me."
Santana was one of five men who were accused of raping Trisha Meili in Central Park in 1989. All five were convicted of the rape charge and each served between seven to 13 years in jail for the crime. Trump put up $85,000 for advertisements in all the major New York newspapers denouncing Santana and the other men while calling for a return of the death penalty regarding the rape case. Trump never switched his stance, though, even when Matias Reyes admitted to raping and assaulting Meili in the early 2000s.
Trump was recently found guilty of all 34 felony counts regarding the 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, with whom Trump allegedly had an affair. It's the first time a former U.S. president has been convicted on criminal charges.
