President-elect Donald Trump has become the first U.S. president to be sentenced for a criminal conviction before taking office. In the New York hush money case, state Judge Juan Merchan imposed an "unconditional discharge" for Trump's conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
An unconditional discharge allows the conviction to remain on record without further penalties, such as imprisonment or fines. Judge Merchan indicated that this was the appropriate sentence, effectively closing the case without imposing additional consequences on Trump.
The sentencing proceeded after the U.S. Supreme Court, in a narrow 5-4 decision, rejected Trump’s request to dismiss the case. Speaking on the ruling, Trump called it a "fair decision" and hinted at the possibility of further legal appeals.
The case stems from Trump’s conviction in May for falsifying business records related to hush money payments made by his former attorney, Michael Cohen. The payments were made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign. Daniels claimed she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006 — an allegation Trump has consistently denied.
Post a Comment