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| BREAKING NEWS: Donald Trump is sentenced to unconditional discharge in Stormy Daniels hush money case as he becomes first US president with criminal conviction | |
| 2025-01-10 | |
| [Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Donald Trump was officially sentenced in the New York hush money case involving porn star Stormy Daniels, putting him on track to become the first convicted felon to be sworn in as President of the United States. The President-elect, 78, appeared virtually for his hearing on Friday in Manhattan Criminal Court where Judge Juan Merchan sentenced him to an unconditional discharge. The 'no-penalty' sentence, which finalizes his criminal conviction of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records from his trial in May, means the incoming president will avoid jail time, hefty fines, and probation. Although a slap on the wrist, it will go on his permanent record and make him the first American president to take the White House as a convicted felon when he is sworn in on January 20.
'This has been a political witch hunt, it was done to damage my reputation so I would lose the election,' he said, sitting alongside his attorney Todd Blanche. 'The people of our country got to see this first hand and voted, I won and got the largest number of votes of any Republican candidate in history.' Trump also attacked his former fixer and a key witness in the case Michael Cohen, calling him a 'totally discredited person.' He added: 'I'm innocent, I did nothing wrong. The business records were extremely accurate, it was done by an accountant who gave very credible testimony. 'With all that's happening in our country today, with the city burning to the ground... with all of the problems going on... I got indicted over calling a legal expense a legal expense. 'I think it's an embarrassment to New York,' he continued. Explaining his decision, Judge Merchan called it 'the only lawful sentence' the court could impose 'without encroaching on the highest office of the land'. 'The legal protections afforded to the office of the President have been laid out by our founders, the conditions, and the United States Supreme Court,' he added. 'The considerable indeed extraordinary legal protections afforded by the chief executive is a fact that overrides all others'. The judge, however, noted that the protections of the Presidency 'are not a mitigating factor' for the crime. 'They do not reduce the seriousness of the crime or justifies its commission in any way. One power they do not provide is the power to erase a jury verdict. Related: Stormy Daniels 11/12/2024 Judge to rule whether to throw out Trump's criminal hush money conviction Stormy Daniels 11/07/2024 Former AG Bill Barr says prosecutors should drop Trump cases: ‘Do the right thing' Stormy Daniels 11/07/2024 List of people that will be leaving the country because of a Trump victory. Related: Juan Merchan 01/09/2025 'Bad Faith' Lawfare Continues Against President Trump Juan Merchan 01/04/2025 PayPal accused of racial bias against Asian Americans in funding program Juan Merchan 12/17/2024 Judge rejects Trump request to toss Bragg charges in New York on basis of presidential immunity | |
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