A New York state court in Manhattan on Friday sentenced US President-elect Donald Trumpto an “unconditional discharge” for his criminal conviction related to a payment of hush money to a porn star over an alleged sexual encounter.
Although the sentencing means Trump will avoid jail time, fines or probation, he will be the first convicted felon to hold the office of US president. The decision is the culmination of the first-ever criminal case brought against a US president in the history of the country.
Trump has claimed the charges were politically motivated and has repeatedly said he will appeal the conviction.
Trump appeared virtually and addressed the hearing at the Manhattan Criminal Court, calling the case “a very terrible experience,” while saying he had committed no crime.
The sentencing comes after the US Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a last-minute bid by Trump to stop the hearing, who is to be sworn in as US president on January 20.
The judge who oversaw the six-week trial last year, Juan Merchan, had indicated before the hearing that he did not plan on giving Trump a jail sentence or a fine.
Trump’s permanent record will retain a judgment of guilt.
What was Trump’s conviction?
The businessman and reality TV star-turned politician was charged in March 2023 by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, with charges related to a cover-up of hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Trump came before a Manhattan court to answer 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 (€126,181) sum paid to Daniels by his former lawyer, Michael Cohen.
The money was allegedly paid to secure her silence before the 2016 election — which Trump won — about an alleged sexual encounter she had with him in 2006.
Trump has denied the incident and argued that the case, along with three other criminal indictments and civil lawsuits related to other accusations, was a bid by his political opponents to weaponize the justice system against him.
However, the jury found him guilty on all 34 counts on May 30.
Falsification of business records can be punishable by up to four years in prison.
Other cases dropped
The hush-money case has been the only criminal case against Trump to come to trial, with his lawyers launching a barrage of legal challenges.
Federal prosecutors have wound down two cases in which Trump is accused of of trying to overturn his 2020 election loss and retaining classified documents after leaving the White House.
That decision was made in view of the policy of the Justice Department against prosecuting a sitting president, which Trump is soon again to be.
The remaining state case, brought in the southern state Georgia over efforts to reverse the 2020 election results in that state, has been suspended after a court in December disqualified the lead prosecutor, Fani Willis.
Trump has also faced civil cases, among other things being found liable for sexual abuse in two civil defamation suits brought by journalist E. Jean Carroll. She was awarded $88.4 million (€83.6 million) total in damages.
Trump has appealed both verdicts.
tj,kb/msh (Reuters, AP, AFP)
