Trump sentenced to unconditional discharge in New York hush money case, avoiding jail
President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced without any penalties Friday in his New York criminal hush money case, 10 days before his inauguration for a second White House term.
Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan sentenced Trump to “unconditional discharge,” meaning no jail, no probation and no fine.
But the sentence will still formally make Trump the first criminal convict ever to occupy the Oval Office.
“This has been a very terrible experience,” Trump, who attended the hearing remotely, said before receiving the sentence.
“This has been a political witch hunt,” he said, claiming the case was brought “to damage my reputation so I would lose the election.”
A jury in May found Trump guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with a $130,000 hush money payment to his personal lawyer just before the 2016 presidential election. Daniels was paid to keep quiet about allegations that the president-elect has denied.
Merchan said an unconditional discharge was the only legal sentence he could have without impinging on the presidency.
Merchan said the protection of that office “overrides all other factors.”
“Donald Trump, a private citizen, Donald Trump, a criminal defendant, would not be afforded these substantial protections,” he said.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass noted at the start of the hearing that the charges against Trump each carry a sentence of up to four years in state prison.
But “the People recommend a sentence of unconditional release,” said Steinglass.
“We must be respectful of the office of the presidency, and mindful of the fact that this defendant will be inaugurated as president in 10 days,” he explained.
But the prosecutor also slammed Trump for his relentless attacks on the justice system throughout the case, saying the president-elect “caused enduring damage to the public perception of the criminal justice system.”
Trump, appearing on a monitor wearing a red striped tie and sitting in front of American flags, frowned and looked bored during Steinglass’ remarks.
Trump attorney Todd Blanche responded that he disagreed with the prosecutor about the validity of the case and about Trump’s conduct.
“It’s a sad day for President Trump and his family and his friends, but it’s also … a sad day for this country,” said Blanche, whom Trump picked to be deputy U.S. attorney general in the next administration.
Despite his complaints in the courtroom, Trump declared victory on social media after the hearing.
“The Radical Democrats have lost another pathetic, unAmerican Witch Hunt,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. His post claimed that the penalty-free sentence proved the case lacked merit, even though Merchan made clear that he gave an unconditional discharge because Trump will soon be president.
