United States President-elect Donald Trump has been sentenced to an “unconditional discharge” following his conviction over hush-money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. The ruling, delivered on Friday by Judge Juan Merchan, makes Trump the first former U.S. president to be convicted and sentenced for a crime, though the penalty involves no jail time, probation, or fines.
The verdict, which came just days before Trump’s inauguration on January 20, places a formal judgment of guilt on his permanent record. Trump’s legal team had sought to delay the sentencing, but the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the appeal. Appearing virtually from Florida, Trump, flanked by his lawyers, described the case as a “political witch-hunt” intended to tarnish his reputation and impact his electoral prospects. “This is a disgrace to the system. I called a legal fee a legal expense, and for this, I got indicted,” he said.
Prosecutors argued that the hush-money payments were made to conceal allegations of a sexual relationship with Daniels that could have politically harmed Trump’s campaign. Despite the sentencing, Trump maintains his stance of innocence and vows to move forward as he prepares to return to the White House.
