In an unprecedented legal outcome, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump was sentenced on Friday to no punishment in his historic hush-money case, allowing him to return to the White House unencumbered by a jail term or fine. The judgment capped an extraordinary case that marked the first criminal conviction of a former U.S. president and major presidential candidate.
Appearing by video from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump delivered a calm but defiant statement, describing the case as a “weaponization of government” and “an embarrassment to New York.” He reiterated his claim of innocence, stating, “It’s been a political witch hunt. It was done to damage my reputation so that I would lose the election, and, obviously, that didn’t work.”
The case stemmed from allegations that Trump falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign. Daniels claimed the payment was made to keep her from disclosing an alleged affair with Trump, which he denies ever occurred.
Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan, who presided over the case, handed down an unconditional discharge, a rare outcome for a felony conviction. Merchan cited constitutional considerations and Trump’s upcoming presidency as reasons for the unusual sentencing.
“Despite the extraordinary breadth of those protections, one power they do not provide is the power to erase a jury verdict,” said Merchan. He emphasized that while the jury’s decision had to be respected, sentencing Trump to prison or imposing a fine could raise complex legal and constitutional issues.
Trump’s conviction followed a nearly two-month trial in which the jury found him guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. The case, brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, focused on the legality of how the payment to Daniels was recorded in Trump’s business ledgers.
Prosecutors argued that Trump arranged the payment to suppress damaging stories about his personal life during the critical final weeks of the 2016 campaign. They contended that Trump reimbursed his then-personal attorney, Michael Cohen, and logged the payments as legal expenses to conceal the true nature of the transaction.
Throughout the trial, Trump’s legal team maintained that the payments were personal and intended to protect his family from embarrassment, not to influence the election. Trump’s lawyers also argued that the reimbursements were legitimate legal expenses.
“For this I got indicted,” Trump said in court. “It’s incredible, actually.”
Despite the potential for a prison sentence of up to four years, Merchan opted to forego any penalty, noting that the former president’s return to office necessitated special consideration. The sentencing, initially scheduled for July, was postponed several times as Trump’s lawyers mounted various legal challenges, ultimately culminating in a 5-4 Supreme Court decision on Thursday night that declined to delay the hearing further.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass criticized Trump’s repeated public attacks on the legal system, describing them as part of a broader effort to undermine its legitimacy. “The once and future president of the United States has engaged in a coordinated campaign to undermine its legitimacy,” Steinglass said during the hearing.
Outside the courthouse, a small but vocal crowd of both Trump supporters and detractors gathered, holding banners with opposing messages. One banner read, “Trump is guilty,” while another proclaimed, “Stop partisan conspiracy” and “Stop political witch hunt.”
Following the sentencing, Trump took to his social media platform to denounce the hearing as a “despicable charade” and vowed to appeal the conviction. Despite the legal drama, the president-elect appeared eager to move forward, with plans to meet later in the day with conservative House Republicans to discuss GOP legislative priorities.
Legal experts noted the rarity of a no-penalty sentence in such a high-profile case. “This is an unprecedented situation in U.S. legal history,” said constitutional law scholar Jennifer Stein. “The decision to issue an unconditional discharge reflects the extraordinary circumstances of having a convicted president-elect preparing to take office.”
Meanwhile, other criminal cases involving Trump have either stalled or been dismissed. Special counsel Jack Smith closed federal investigations into Trump’s handling of classified documents and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. In Georgia, a state-level election interference case remains in limbo after prosecutor Fani Willis was removed from it.
As the legal chapter in the hush money case closes, Trump now turns his attention to the White House, where he will take office in just 10 days. Despite the felony conviction, his political standing remains intact, with his supporters unfazed by the controversy.
Judge Merchan, in concluding the proceedings, wished Trump “godspeed in your second term in office,” a remark that underscored the extraordinary nature of the moment. Trump, appearing stoic but visibly displeased, offered no immediate response.
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