President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced Friday in his New York criminal hush-money case, just ten days before his inauguration for a second term.
The sentence, delivered by Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan, imposed no penalties but marked Trump as the first criminal convict to assume the presidency.
Judge Merchan handed Trump an “unconditional discharge,” meaning no jail time, probation, or fine, despite the gravity of the 34 felony counts of falsifying business records tied to hush money payments.
Appearing remotely during the hearing, Trump characterized the case as a political attack aimed at undermining his reputation and his electoral success.
“This has been a very terrible experience,” Trump said. “This has been a political witch hunt to damage my reputation so I would lose the election.”
Trump has consistently denied the allegations, including claims from adult film actress Stormy Daniels that she had a sexual encounter with him over a decade ago.
The charges stem from a $130,000 payment made by Trump’s then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, to Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign. The payment was meant to secure her silence about the alleged affair.
Prosecutors argued that Trump falsified business records to conceal the reimbursement payments to Cohen, disguising them as legal expenses.
In May, a jury convicted Trump on all counts, each carrying a potential sentence of up to four years in state prison. However, prosecutors recommended unconditional discharge, citing the unprecedented nature of sentencing a sitting or incoming president.
Judge Merchan acknowledged the gravity of the offenses but emphasized the unique protections afforded to the office of the presidency.
“The protection of that office is a factor that overrides all others,” Merchan said. “Donald Trump, the ordinary citizen, Donald Trump the criminal defendant, would not be entitled to such considerable protections.”
Trump’s sentencing cements his place in history as the first criminal convict to take the oath of office. While his supporters view the case as a politically motivated attack, critics argue that his return to the White House undermines the integrity of the highest office in the land.
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