Donald Trump has been convicted on 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Despite the gravity of the charges, the sentencing, which took place on January 10, 2025, resulted in an unconditional discharge, allowing Trump to avoid imprisonment, fines, or probation.
The Unconditional discharge means Trump will not be imprisoned, fined or face probation, but his conviction still stands, and he will enter office as a convicted felon.
Judge Juan Merchan sentenced Trump to an “unconditional discharge” on Friday, a day after the US Supreme Court rejected an attempt by Trump’s legal team to delay the sentencing, which took place before the Republican leader’s inauguration on January 20. Prosecutors had recommended the sentence, saying, “we must be respectful of the office of the presidency” and Trump’s pending inauguration.
“This has been a very terrible experience,” a dour Trump said, speaking remotely from his Florida home when allowed to address the judge.
“It was done to damage my reputation so I would lose the election,” he said. “I am totally innocent. I did nothing wrong,” he maintained.
The sentencing came just 10 days before Trump is set to be sworn in as the country’s 47th president.
Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances,” Judge Juan Merchan said before he handed down his sentence. “This has been a truly extraordinary case.”
He cited the immunity and legal protections Trump will soon have as the reasons for sentencing him with an unconditional discharge, which he called “the only lawful sentence that permits entry of a judgment of conviction without encroaching upon the highest office in the land.”
“Donald Trump, the ordinary citizen, Donald Trump, the criminal defendant, would not be entitled to such considerable protections,” Merchan said.
In an unprecedented legal development, President-elect Donald Trump has been convicted on 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Despite the gravity of the charges, the sentencing, which took place on January 10, 2025, resulted in an unconditional discharge, allowing Trump to avoid imprisonment, fines, or probation.
Background of the Case
The origins of this case trace back to 2006 when Trump allegedly had an extramarital affair with Stormy Daniels. As the 2016 presidential election approached, efforts were made to suppress this information. Michael Cohen, Trump’s personal attorney at the time, facilitated a $130,000 payment to Daniels to secure her silence. These payments were later recorded as legal expenses in the financial records of the Trump Organization, leading to the falsification charges.
In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including campaign finance violations related to the hush money payment, and was sentenced to three years in prison. His testimony and evidence were instrumental in the subsequent investigation and prosecution of Trump.
The trial commenced in early 2024, marking the first time a former U.S. president faced criminal charges in court. The prosecution presented evidence indicating that Trump orchestrated the payments to Daniels to prevent potential damage to his 2016 campaign. Witnesses, including Cohen and David Pecker, former publisher of the National Enquirer, testified about their roles in the scheme.
The defense argued that the payments were personal matters unrelated to the campaign and challenged the credibility of key witnesses. After weeks of testimony and deliberation, the jury found Trump guilty on all counts on May 30, 2024, making him the first former U.S. president to be convicted of a felony.
The sentencing means Trump will make some ignominious history before he becomes only the second president to be sworn in for two nonconsecutive terms: He’ll be the only president to have been sentenced on criminal charges
Meanwhile, there are ongoing investigations into alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results and the mishandling of classified documents. The outcomes of these cases could further impact his political career and legacy.
