A US judge on Friday sentenced President-elect Donald Trump for his criminal conviction related to hush money payments made to a porn star. The sentence places a judgment of guilt on his record; however, Trump will not serve jail time or pay a fine.
Trump had been facing a potential jail sentence of up to four years. Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan, however, opted for a sentence that avoided complex constitutional issues by effectively closing the case.
This verdict ensures that the Republican will become the first-ever US president with a felony conviction.
The judge explained that he had to consider any aggravating factors before delivering the sentence. However, he emphasized that the legal protection Trump would receive as president “is a factor that overrides all others.”
He clarified that while legal protections for a president exist, they cannot erase a jury’s verdict.
Trump was convicted in May this year on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Despite the conviction, the judge imposed the mildest criminal sanction possible—an unconditional discharge.
“Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances. The only lawful sentence that permits entry of a judgment of conviction without encroaching on the highest office of the land is an unconditional discharge,” the judge stated.
Trump’s Statement
The US President-elect attended the hearing virtually and referred to his conviction as a significant setback for New York and the New York court system.
“This has been a very terrible experience. I think it’s been a tremendous setback for New York and the New York court system,” Trump stated.
He further claimed that his conviction was part of a larger effort to ensure he would lose the US presidential election.
“It was done to damage my reputation, so I would lose the election,” he added.
The hush money case
Trump was accused of altering his business records to conceal a USD 130,000 payment made to porn actor Stormy Daniels. The payment was made during Trump’s 2016 campaign to prevent Daniels from revealing details of a sexual encounter that occurred a decade earlier.
Trump has denied the sexual encounter.
