US President-elect Donald Trump has been sentenced to an “unconditional discharge” for his role in making hush-money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
This sentence was delivered by Judge Juan Merchan,
Unconditional discharged means Trump’s conviction will remain on his record, but he won’t face imprisonment, fines, or probation.
In May 2024, Trump was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business documents related to the payments made to Daniels. The payments were made in the closing days of the 2016 presidential election, and Daniels testified that she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, which he has denied.
Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has maintained that the payments were legitimate business expenses. However, the court believes otherwise.
The President-elects’ conviction is a rare instance of a US president being held accountable for criminal wrongdoing.
The road to sentencing was not without its challenges. Trump’s legal team had attempted to delay the sentencing, arguing that it would be a distraction during his presidential transition. However, the US Supreme Court rejected this appeal by 5-4, clearing the way for the sentencing to proceed.
During his virtual sentencing hearing, Trump described his trial and conviction as “a very terrible experience” and insisted he committed no crime.
“There is no case, there was never a case, and this whole scam fully deserves to be dismissed,” he fired up on his Truth Social account.
Despite the conviction, Trump is set to take office on January 20, making him the first US president to assume office with a criminal conviction.
Meanwhile, Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s former attorney, is facing his own legal troubles. A federal judge is considering sanctioning Giuliani with financial penalties for defaming former Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss on his streaming show.
Giuliani has maintained that his comments were not defamatory and that he has a First Amendment right to discuss the case. However, the court may disagree, and Giuliani could face significant financial penalties if found guilty.
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